The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area. They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise.[1] The franchise changed its name the following year to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C.in1937.[1]In2020, the team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly played as the Washington Football Team before becoming the Commanders in 2022.[1]
Over their 92 seasons in the NFL, the Commanders have accumulated a record of 629 wins, 643 losses, and 29 ties, which is the thirteenth-worst all-time regular season record among active franchises in terms of win–loss percentage.[2] They have also made the playoffs twenty-five times and have the ninth-best playoff record in terms of win-loss percentage with 23 wins and 20 losses.[2] The franchise has won five NFC championships and 15 NFL divisional titles.[2]
The franchise has won three Super Bowl championships (XVII, XXII, and XXVI).[3] They also played in and lost Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl XVIII.[3] Before the AFL and NFL merged in 1970,[4] Washington won two NFL Championships (1937 and 1942). They also played in and lost the 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945 Championship games. Only five teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than Washington: the New England Patriots (11), Dallas Cowboys (eight), Pittsburgh Steelers (eight), Denver Broncos (eight), and San Francisco 49ers (seven); Washington's five appearances are tied with the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, and New York Giants.[5]
All of the franchise's championships were attained during two 10-year spans. The first period of success was from 1936to1945, when they went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them. The second period of success was from 1982 and 1991, when they appeared in the postseason seven times, captured four Conference titles, and won three Super Bowls. This period included the 1983 and 1991 seasons, when the team won 14 games, the most the team have won in a single season.[6]
Washington has also experienced periods of extended failure in its history. The most notable period of continued failure was from 1946to1970, when they posted only four winning seasons and did not have a single postseason appearance.[6] During this period, they went without a single winning season between 1956to1968 and posted their worst regular-season record in franchise history, going 1–12–1 in 1961.[6] Washington is currently experiencing its second period of lack of success, which began in 1993 and continued throughout the 2000s and 2010s with only two playoff wins under the ownership of Daniel Snyder.[6]
NFL champions (1920–1969) § | Super Bowl champions (1970–present) * | Conference champions # | Division champions † | Wild card berth ^ |
Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Playoff results | Head coach | Awards | Refs. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | W | L | T | ||||||||||
Boston Braves | |||||||||||||
1932 | 1932 | NFL | — | — | 4th | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | Lud Wray | — | [7] | |
Boston Redskins | |||||||||||||
1933 | 1933 | NFL | — | East | 3rd | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | Lone Star Dietz | — | [8] | |
1934 | 1934 | NFL | — | East | 2nd | 6 | 6 | 0 | — | Lone Star Dietz | — | [9] | |
1935[a] | 1935 | NFL | — | East | 4th | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | Eddie Casey | — | [11] | |
1936 | 1936 | NFL | — | East† | 1st† | 7 | 5 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Packers) 21–6 | Ray Flaherty | — | [12] | |
Washington Redskins | |||||||||||||
1937[b] | 1937 | NFL§ | — | East† | 1st† | 8 | 3 | 0 | Won NFL Championship (1) (atBears) 28–21 | Ray Flaherty | — | [13] | |
1938 | 1938 | NFL | — | East | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | Ray Flaherty | — | [14] | |
1939 | 1939 | NFL | — | East | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | Ray Flaherty | — | [15] | |
1940 | 1940 | NFL | — | East† | 1st† | 9 | 2 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Bears) 73–0 | Ray Flaherty | — | [16] | |
1941 | 1941 | NFL | — | East | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | Ray Flaherty | — | [17] | |
1942 | 1942 | NFL§ | — | East† | 1st† | 10 | 1 | 0 | Won NFL Championship (2) (Bears) 14–6 | Ray Flaherty | — | [18] | |
1943[c] | 1943 | NFL | — | East† | 1st† | 6 | 3 | 1 | Won Divisional playoff (atGiants) 28–0 Lost NFL Championship (atBears) 41–21 |
Dutch Bergman | — | [19] | |
1944 | 1944 | NFL | — | East | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | Dudley DeGroot | — | [20] | |
1945 | 1945 | NFL | — | East† | 1st† | 8 | 2 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (atRams) 15–14 | Dudley DeGroot | — | [21] | |
1946[d] | 1946 | NFL | — | East | T-3rd | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | Turk Edwards | — | [22] | |
1947[e] | 1947 | NFL | — | East | 4th | 4 | 8 | 0 | — | Turk Edwards | — | [23] | |
1948 | 1948 | NFL | — | East | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 0 | — | Turk Edwards | — | [24] | |
1949 | 1949 | NFL | — | East | 4th | 4 | 7 | 1 | — | John Whelchel (3–3–1) Herman Ball (1–4) |
— | [25] | |
1950 | 1950 | NFL | American | — | 6th | 3 | 9 | 0 | — | Herman Ball | — | [26] | |
1951 | 1951 | NFL | American | — | 3rd | 5 | 7 | 0 | — | Herman Ball (0–3) Dick Todd (5–4) |
— | [27] | |
1952 | 1952 | NFL | American | — | T-5th | 4 | 8 | 0 | — | Curly Lambeau | — | [28] | |
1953 | 1953 | NFL | Eastern | — | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | Curly Lambeau | — | [29] | |
1954 | 1954 | NFL | Eastern | — | 5th | 3 | 9 | 0 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [30] | |
1955 | 1955 | NFL | Eastern | — | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | Joe Kuharich | Joe Kuharich (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[31][32] | [33] | |
1956 | 1956 | NFL | Eastern | — | 3rd | 6 | 6 | 0 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [34] | |
1957 | 1957 | NFL | Eastern | — | 4th | 5 | 6 | 1 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [35] | |
1958 | 1958 | NFL | Eastern | — | 4th | 4 | 7 | 1 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [36] | |
1959 | 1959 | NFL | Eastern | — | 5th | 3 | 9 | 0 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [37] | |
1960 | 1960[f] | NFL | Eastern | — | 6th | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | Joe Kuharich | — | [38] | |
1961[g] | 1961[h] | NFL | Eastern | — | 7th | 1 | 12 | 1 | — | Bill McPeak | — | [40] | |
1962 | 1962 | NFL | Eastern | — | 4th | 5 | 7 | 2 | — | Bill McPeak | — | [41] | |
1963 | 1963 | NFL | Eastern | — | 6th | 3 | 11 | 0 | — | Bill McPeak | — | [42] | |
1964 | 1964 | NFL | Eastern | — | T-3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | — | Bill McPeak | Charley Taylor (ROY)[43][44] | [45] | |
1965 | 1965 | NFL | Eastern | — | 4th | 6 | 8 | 0 | — | Bill McPeak | — | [46] | |
1966 | 1966 | NFL | Eastern | — | 5th | 7 | 7 | 0 | — | Otto Graham | — | [47] | |
1967[i] | 1967 | NFL | Eastern | Capitol | 3rd | 5 | 6 | 3 | — | Otto Graham | — | [48] | |
1968 | 1968 | NFL | Eastern | Capitol | 3rd | 5 | 9 | 0 | — | Otto Graham | — | [49] | |
1969 | 1969 | NFL | Eastern | Capitol | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | Vince Lombardi | — | [50] | |
1970 | 1970 | NFL | NFC | East[j] | 4th | 6 | 8 | 0 | — | Bill Austin | — | [51] | |
1971 | 1971 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^ | 9 | 4 | 1 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at49ers) 24–20 | George Allen | George Allen (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[52][32] | [53] | |
1972 | 1972 | NFL | NFC# | East† | 1st† | 11 | 3 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Packers) 16–3 Won NFC Championship (Cowboys) 26–3 Lost Super Bowl VII (vs. Dolphins) 14–7 |
George Allen | Larry Brown (MVPTooltip National Football League Most Valuable Player Award & OPOYTooltip National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award)[54][55] | [56] | |
1973 | 1973 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^[k] | 10 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (atVikings) 27–20 | George Allen | — | [58] | |
1974 | 1974 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (atRams) 19–10 | George Allen | — | [59] | |
1975 | 1975 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 6 | 0 | — | George Allen | Mike Thomas (OROYTooltip National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year Award)[60] | [61] | |
1976 | 1976 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^[l] | 10 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (atVikings) 35–20 | George Allen | — | [63] | |
1977 | 1977 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd[m] | 9 | 5 | 0 | — | George Allen | — | [64] | |
1978[n] | 1978 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | Jack Pardee | John Riggins (CBPOYTooltip National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award)[65] | [66] | |
1979 | 1979 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd[o] | 10 | 6 | 0 | — | Jack Pardee | Jack Pardee (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[67] | [68] | |
1980 | 1980 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | — | Jack Pardee | [69] | ||
1981 | 1981 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | Ken Houston (Byron "Whizzer" White Award)[70] | [71] | |
1982[p] | 1982 | NFL* | NFC# | 1st# | 8 | 1 | 0 | Won First Round Playoffs (Lions) 31–7 Won Second Round Playoffs (Vikings) 21–7 Won NFC Championship (Cowboys) 31–17 Won Super Bowl XVII (3) (vs. Dolphins) 27–17 |
Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[32] Mark Moseley (MVPTooltip National Football League Most Valuable Player Award)[54] John Riggins (SBMVPTooltip Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award)[74] Joe Theismann (WPMOYTooltip Walter Payton Man of the Year Award)[75] Bobby Beathard (EOYTooltip Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year Award)[76] |
[77] | ||
1983 | 1983 | NFL | NFC# | East† | 1st† | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Rams) 51–7 Won NFC Championship (49ers) 24–21 Lost Super Bowl XVIII (vs. Raiders) 38–9 |
Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[32] Joe Theismann (MVPTooltip National Football League Most Valuable Player Award & OPOYTooltip National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award)[54][55] Bobby Beathard (EOYTooltip Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year Award)[76] |
[78] | |
1984 | 1984 | NFL | NFC | East† | 1st† | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Bears) 23–19 | Joe Gibbs | — | [79] | |
1985 | 1985 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd[q] | 10 | 6 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | — | [81] | |
1986 | 1986 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Rams) 19–7 Won Divisional Playoffs (atBears) 27–13 Lost NFC Championship (atGiants) 17–0 |
Joe Gibbs | — | [82] | |
1987[r] | 1987 | NFL* | NFC# | East† | 1st† | 11 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (atBears) 21–17 Won NFC Championship (Vikings) 17–10 Won Super Bowl XXII (4) (vs. Broncos) 42–10 |
Joe Gibbs | Doug Williams (SBMVPTooltip Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award)[74] | [84] | |
1988 | 1988 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | — | [85] | |
1989 | 1989 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 10 | 6 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | — | [86] | |
1990 | 1990 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (atEagles) 20–6 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at49ers) 28–10 |
Joe Gibbs | — | [87] | |
1991 | 1991 | NFL* | NFC# | East† | 1st† | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Falcons) 24–7 Won NFC Championship (Lions) 41–10 Won Super Bowl XXVI (5) (vs. Bills) 37–24 |
Joe Gibbs | Joe Gibbs (COYTooltip National Football League Coach of the Year Award)[32] Mark Rypien (SBMVPTooltip Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award & OPOYTooltip National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award)[74] [88] |
[89] | |
1992 | 1992 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd^[s] | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (atVikings) 24–7 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at49ers) 20–13 |
Joe Gibbs | — | [91] | |
1993 | 1993 | NFL | NFC | East | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | — | Richie Petitbon | — | [92] | |
1994 | 1994 | NFL | NFC | East | 5th | 3 | 13 | 0 | — | Norv Turner | — | [93] | |
1995 | 1995 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | — | Norv Turner | — | [94] | |
1996 | 1996[t] | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd[u] | 9 | 7 | 0 | — | Norv Turner | Darrell Green (WPMOYTooltip Walter Payton Man of the Year Award & Bart Starr Award)[75][97] | [98] | |
1997 | 1997[v] | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | Norv Turner | — | [99] | |
1998 | 1998 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | — | Norv Turner | — | [100] | |
1999 | 1999 | NFL | NFC | East† | 1st† | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Lions) 27–13 Lost Divisional Playoffs (atBuccaneers) 14–13 |
Norv Turner | — | [101] | |
2000 | 2000 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | Norv Turner (7–6) Terry Robiskie (1–2) |
— | [102] | |
2001 | 2001 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | Marty Schottenheimer | — | [103] | |
2002 | 2002 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | Steve Spurrier | — | [104] | |
2003 | 2003 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 5 | 11 | 0 | — | Steve Spurrier | [105] | ||
2004 | 2004 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | — | [106] | |
2005 | 2005 | NFL | NFC | East | 2nd^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (atBuccaneers) 17–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (atSeahawks) 20–10 |
Joe Gibbs | [107] | ||
2006 | 2006 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | — | Joe Gibbs | — | [108] | |
2007 | 2007 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd^ | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (atSeahawks) 35–14 | Joe Gibbs | [109] | ||
2008 | 2008 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | Jim Zorn | — | [110] | |
2009 | 2009 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | — | Jim Zorn | — | [111] | |
2010 | 2010 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | — | Mike Shanahan | — | [112] | |
2011 | 2011 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | — | Mike Shanahan | London Fletcher (Bart Starr Award)[113] | [114] | |
2012 | 2012 | NFL | NFC | East† | 1st† | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) 24–14 | Mike Shanahan | Robert Griffin III (OROYTooltip National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year Award)[60] | [115] | |
2013 | 2013 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 3 | 13 | 0 | — | Mike Shanahan | — | [116] | |
2014 | 2014 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | — | Jay Gruden | [117] | ||
2015 | 2015 | NFL | NFC | East† | 1st† | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) 25–18 | Jay Gruden | — | [118] | |
2016 | 2016 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | Jay Gruden | — | [119] | |
2017 | 2017 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | Jay Gruden | — | [120] | |
2018 | 2018 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | Jay Gruden | — | [121] | |
2019 | 2019 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 3 | 13 | 0 | — | Jay Gruden (0–5) Bill Callahan (3–8) |
— | [122] | |
Washington Football Team | |||||||||||||
2020 | 2020 | NFL | NFC | East† | 1st† | 7 | 9 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Buccaneers) 31–23 | Ron Rivera | Chase Young (DROYTooltip National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award)[123] Alex Smith (CBPOYTooltip National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award)[65] |
[124] | |
2021[w] | 2021 | NFL | NFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 10 | 0 | — | Ron Rivera | Ron Rivera (George Halas Award)[125] | [126] | |
Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||
2022 | 2022 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 8 | 8 | 1 | — | Ron Rivera | — | [127] | |
2023 | 2023 | NFL | NFC | East | 4th | 4 | 13 | 0 | — | Ron Rivera | — | [128] | |
2024 | 2024 | NFL | NFC | East | — | — | — | — | — | Dan Quinn | — | [129] | |
Totals | 629 | 643 | 29 | All-time regular season record | |||||||||
23 | 20 | — | All-time playoff record | ||||||||||
652 | 663 | 29 | Combined record |
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Franchise |
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Stadiums |
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Key personnel |
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Culture |
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Rivalries |
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Division championships (15) |
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Conference championships (5) |
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League championships (2) |
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Super Bowl championships (3) |
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Hall of Famers |
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Affiliations |
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Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021) | |
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Bold indicates NFL ChampionshiporSuper Bowl victory |