The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia. The Commanders have played more than 1,300 games and is one of only seven in the NFL with more than 600 total wins. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song, "Hail to the Commanders", played by their marching band after every touchdown scored by Washington at home. The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris, who acquired the franchise from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $6.05 billion.
Darrell Ray Green is an American former professional football cornerback who played 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins. Widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to have ever played in the NFL, Green was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Samuel Adrian Baugh was an American football player and coach. During his college and professional careers, he most notably played quarterback, but also played as a safety and punter. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, where he was a two time All-American. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins for 16 seasons from 1937 to 1952. After his playing career, he served as a college coach for the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys before coaching professionally for the New York Titans and the Houston Oilers.
James Arthur Monk is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. He is considered by many NFL players, coaches, and analysts to be one of the greatest wide receivers of all-time. Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was a two-time All-American, including a unanimous All-American selection in 1991, winning the Heisman Trophy. He was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Howard spent most of his career on special teams as a return specialist and holds the NFL single season record for punt return yardage. With the Green Bay Packers, Howard was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI after setting an NFL record for punt return yards and returning a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown, the longest return in Super Bowl history at the time. To date, he is the only special teams player to receive the award. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Thomas Joseph Tupa Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a punter and quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was selected in the third round of the 1988 NFL Draft to the Phoenix Cardinals. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins.
Steven Charles Emtman is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Washington and was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1992 NFL draft. He also played for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins before retiring following the 1997 season.
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). To increase revenue, the league, for the first time since 1966, reinstated bye weeks, so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 10 teams to 12 teams by adding another wild card from each conference, thus adding two more contests to the postseason schedule; this format was modified with realignment in 2002 before the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.
Eric Quinn Metcalf is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Browns and the Chargers. He was also the 1988 US Track and Field Champion in the long jump and a two-time NCAA Champion in the same event at Texas. His father Terry was a running back for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Saverio Giovanni Rocca is an Australian former professional sportsman. He played Australian rules football for Collingwood and the Kangaroos in the Australian Football League (AFL), and then switched to playing American football as a punter for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL).
Gary C. Clark is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins (1985–92), Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1993–94), and Miami Dolphins (1995).
Richard Ervins is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the USC Trojans. He was selected by Washington in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft.
Brian Keith Mitchell is an American former football running back and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a quarterback for the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft. Mitchell is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL history.
Cris Edward Dishman is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the 18th head football coach for Texas Southern University, a position he has held since 2024. He played for the Houston Oilers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins during his thirteen-year career from 1988 to 2000 in the National Football League (NFL).
William Edwards Blackmon is a former American football safety and return specialist. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, and was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was also a member of the New York Giants, Arizona Rattlers, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Phillip Dale Lindsey is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at the University of San Diego. Lindsey has also worked as a coach in the National Football League (NFL), the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the United States Football League (USFL).
Michael Robert Prior is a former American football safety who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Illinois State. Prior currently serves as the Football Development Commissioner for the Indianapolis Colts.
Anthony Ray Barker is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kansas before transferring to Rice University following his sophomore year. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round, 280th overall selection, of the 1992 NFL Draft. He also briefly played for the Green Bay Packers.
James William Collier is a former American football tight end who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft. Collier was also selected in the 31st round of the 1962 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Collier scored the only touchdown for the New York Giants in the 1962 championship game when he recovered a blocked Packers' punt on the goal line.
Roy Dale McKay was a football player at the University of Texas and in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American fullback in 1942 and was the most outstanding back in the 1943 Cotton Bowl. In the NFL he was twice named the best punter in the league and played on the 1944 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers.
