History of the Washington Commanders

The

Washington has also experienced periods of extended failure in its history. The most notable period of continued failure was from 1946 to 1970, when they posted only four winning seasons and did not have a single postseason appearance.^[5] During this period, they went without a single winning season between 1956 to 1968 and posted their worst regular-season record in franchise history, going 1–12–1 in 1961.^[5] Washington is currently experiencing its second period of failure, which began in 1993 and continued through the entire franchise ownership of Daniel Snyder. Since 1993, they have posted only eight winning seasons and six postseason appearances.^[5]

George Preston Marshall ownership (1932–1969)

Establishment in Boston (1932–1936)

The city of

Dietz's first year as coach in 1933 was unremarkable, and the Redskins finished with a 5–5–2 record.^[18] However, one impressive feat during the season was Cliff Battles' performance against the New York Giants on October 8, 1933, when he rushed 16 times for 215 yards (197 m) and scored one touchdown and became the first player ever to rush for more than 200 yards (180 m) in a game.^[19]

Dietz was fired after posting a 6–6 record in 1934, and Eddie Casey was hired as his replacement.^[18] During the 1935 season, the Redskins split their first two games before going into a season-long scoring slump, posting only 23 points during a seven-game losing streak. The Redskins posted a win and a tie in their final two games, finishing with a 2–8–1 record,^[18] scoring only 65 points on the season. Casey was fired at the end of the season.^[20]

1936

The Redskins' most productive year in Boston came in

After starting the season 4–5, the Redskins won their last three games to finish with a record of 7–5,[18] attaining both their first winning record and their first Eastern Division Championship. However, during the final game of the regular season, a 30–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, only 4,813 fans showed up to Fenway Park. An angry Marshall then decided to give up home field advantage for the 1936 NFL Championship Game. The game was then played on December 13, 1936, at New York's Polo Grounds, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers, 21–6.^[23]

1936/1937 offseason

"I moved my team to Washington because the Boston papers gave girls' field hockey more coverage than the Redskins," Marshall said in 1953.

Boston

Washington, D.C.

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Following the 1936 season, the team relocated to Washington, D.C.

After the disappointing 1936 NFL title game,

The Redskins played their first game and had their first victory in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1937, against the Giants. The Thursday night game drew nearly 25,000 fans to Griffith Stadium and culminated with Riley Smith scoring on a 60-yard (55 m) interception return, making the final score 13–3.^[6]

On December 5, 1937, the Redskins earned their first division title in Washington by beating the Giants 49–14, including two touchdown runs by Cliff Battles for 75 and 76 yards (69 m), for the Eastern Championship.^[6] The team then proceeded to win their first league championship, the 1937 NFL Championship Game, on December 12, 1937, against the Chicago Bears, their first season in D.C.^[6]

1938

The

On October 15, 1939, the Redskins achieved an NFL first when Frank Filchock threw the first 99-yard (91 m) touchdown pass in NFL history, to Andy Farkas, in a game against his old team, the Pirates. This set a record for longest play from scrimmage, a record that can only be tied, not broken.^[29][30]

1940

The Redskins won nine games in 1940 and finished on top of the Eastern Division. They met the Bears again in the 1940 NFL Championship Game on December 8, 1940, in Washington, D.C.^[31] The Redskins were annihilated by the Bears 73–0 for the most lopsided score in NFL history.^[31]

The other big loss for the Redskins that season occurred during a coin-tossing ceremony prior to a game against the Giants. After calling the coin toss and shaking hands with the opposing team captain, Turk Edwards attempted to pivot around to head back to his sideline. However, his cleats caught in the grass and his knee gave way, injuring him and bringing his season and career to an unusual end.^[32]

1941–1944

Though the Redskins failed to make the 1941 NFL Championship Game with a record of 6–5,^[18] the 1941 season is still worth mentioning because of one game. The Redskins won their last game of the season by beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 20–14.^[29] However few remember that day for the game, because it occurred on December 7, 1941, the same day as the Attack on Pearl Harbor, a surprise attack against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Japanese Navy that resulted in the death of over 2,400 Americans and brought the United States into World War II. On a more personal note for the Redskins, this act ultimately drove two of the most popular Redskins players, Frankie Filchock and Wayne Millner, to enlist in the U.S. Navy.^[29]

In what became an early NFL rivalry, the Redskins and Bears met two more times in the NFL Championship. The second was during the

The Redskins played in the NFL Championship one more time before a quarter-century drought that did not end until

The Redskins' early success endeared them to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the franchise began a slow decline that was not ended until a playoff appearance in the 1971 season.

After the end of Edwards' coaching career, the Redskins hired three different head coaches during the next three seasons: John Whelchel, Herman Ball, and former player Dick Todd, but none were successful.

Nevertheless, this did not stop George Preston Marshall from trying to make the Redskins the most successful franchise in the league. His first major innovation occurred on June 14, 1950, when it was announced that American Oil Company planned to televise all Redskins games, making Washington the first NFL team to have an entire season of televised games.^[39][40] Before that, in 1944, the Redskins formed a radio network to broadcast their games throughout the southern United States.^[39]

His next major change came in February 1952, when he hired former

After Kuharich resigned as coach to accept the Notre Dame head coaching position, Marshall hired Mike Nixon before the 1959 season. Over the next two seasons, Nixon proved to be statistically the worst coach the Redskins have had in terms of winning percentage, with a record of 4–18–2.^[44] In the 1961 draft, the Redskins made another poor draft choice in QB Norm Snead and passing over Fran Tarkenton, who later became a Hall-of-Famer after his career with the Vikings and Giants. In 1961, the Redskins moved into their new stadium called D.C. Stadium (changed to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969). The first game in new D.C. Stadium occurred on October 1, 1961, in front of 37,767 fans. However, the Redskins failed to hold a 21–7 lead and lost to the New York Giants 24–21.^[45] Along with stadiums, Marshall decided to change head coaches again, this time choosing Bill McPeak. Though McPeak's coaching record was nothing to be proud of (21–46–3 over five seasons),^[18] he is better known for helping the Redskins draft future stars such as wide receiver Charley Taylor, tight end Jerry Smith, safety Paul Krause, center Len Hauss, and linebacker Chris Hanburger.^[46] He also helped pull off two of the best trades of the 1960s, gaining quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants.^[47] However, even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. While the Redskins became more popular than ever, they struggled through the 1960s.

Integration controversy

During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continued to refuse to integrate the team, despite pressure from The Washington Post and the federal government of the United States. A typical comment by Post writer Shirley Povich was

Jim Brown, born ineligible to play for the Redskins, integrated their end zone three times yesterday.^[48]

On March 24, 1961,

In 1961, the Redskins drafted their first

1962–1969: Continued struggles

Although Bobby Mitchell was only welcomed to the team grudgingly, he was nonetheless joined by black stars like receiver Charley Taylor, running back Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness in his right ear),^[51] defensive back Brig Owens, and guard John Nisby from the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[49] The Redskins ended the 1962 season with their best record in five years: 5–7–2. Mitchell led the league with eleven touchdowns, caught 72 passes and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and became assistant general manager of the Redskins. Nisby had three successful seasons with the team and then was released.^[49] 1963 saw the Redskins fall to 3–11, with Norm Snead throwing 27 interceptions, then 1964 and 1965 saw two consecutive 6–8 seasons after which Bill McPeak was fired. On January 25, 1966, the Redskins hired Otto Graham as head coach from 1966 to 1968,^[45] but whatever magic he had as an NFL player disappeared on the sidelines as the team saw records of 7–7, 5–6–3, and 5–9 in 1966, 1967 and 1968 respectively.^[18]

Edward Bennett Williams ownership (1969–1974)

Marshall, team owner and president, would begin a mental decline in 1962, and the franchise's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died on August 9, 1969,^[45] and Edward Bennett Williams, a minority stockholder a Washington-based attorney, was chosen to run the franchise while the majority stockholder, Jack Kent Cooke, lived in Los Angeles and ran the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.^[52]

In addition, the Redskins hired former Packers coach Vince Lombardi after promising him part ownership of the franchise.^[53] Lombardi led the team to a 7–5–2 record,^[18] their best since 1955 (which kept Lombardi's record of never having coached a losing NFL team intact),^[45] but died of cancer on the eve of the 1970 season.^[53] Assistant coach Bill Austin was chosen to replace Lombardi during 1970 and produced a record of 6–8.^[18] However, one highlight from the 1970 season occurred on December 13, 1970, against the Philadelphia Eagles, when running back Larry Brown broke off a 12-yard (11 m) run, and became the first Redskins player to rush for 1,000 yards (910 m).^[54] That season, Brown became the first Redskins player since Cliff Battles to win the NFL rushing title with totals of 1,125 yards (1,029 m) on 237 carries, a 4.7 rushing average.^[54]

George Allen era (1971–1977)

After the death of Lombardi and Austin's successful 1970 season, Williams signed former

Allen and players Billy Kilmer, running back Larry Brown, center Len Hauss, receiver Charley Taylor, linebacker Chris Hanburger and safety Pat Fischer helped the Redskins make the playoffs for the first time since 1945 with a 9–4–1 mark.^[18] However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, 24–20.^[54]

1972

The 1972 season began with the Redskins winning their first two games but then suffering an agonizing 24–23 loss to the New England Patriots. After the loss, Allen re-inserted Sonny Jurgensen as the starter, but Jurgensen's season ended three weeks later when he tore an Achilles tendon. Kilmer returned and led the Redskins to a 6–2 mark over the final eight weeks and an 11–3 overall record that brought an NFC East title.^[18]

The Redskins then hosted their first post-season game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16–3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs,^[31] as the shrewd Allen resorted to a five-man defensive front that handcuffed the Packers' powerful running game.^[54] The Redskins reached the NFC Championship Game, defeating Dallas 26–3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII.^[54]

The Redskins posted a 10–4 record in 1973,^[18] which made them tied with the Dallas Cowboys atop the NFC East.^[54] However, Dallas won the division crown based on better point differential with a net 13 points, which forced the Redskins to play in the Divisional playoffs at Minnesota one week later, where Washington lost 27–20.^[31][54]

Jack Kent Cooke ownership (1974–1997)

1974–1978

The 1974 season ended quite similarly to the 1973 season. The Redskins finished 10–4 and again,^[18] were forced to play in the Divisional playoffs. This time, they played against the Los Angeles Rams, and again fell short, 19–10.^[31] Then before the beginning of the next season, on May 1, 1975, Sonny Jurgensen retired from pro football after 18 seasons in the NFL, 11 of which were for the Redskins.^[54]

When the 1975 season was over, the Redskins had an 8–6 record and did not make the playoffs for the first time since Allen's tenure began.^[18] The highlight of the year came during the season finale on December 21, 1975, against the Philadelphia Eagles, when Charley Taylor became the NFL's all-time receptions leader with his 634th career catch.^[54]

The 1976 season started with the Redskins going 6–4, but won the final four games to finish at 10–4^[18] and earned a playoff berth for the fifth time in six years under George Allen.^[54] However, on December 18, 1976,^[54] the Vikings beat the Redskins in the Divisional playoffs, 35–20.^[31]

After his Redskins failed to make the playoffs despite posting a 9–5 record in 1977,^[18] Allen was fired and was replaced by new head coach Jack Pardee, a star linebacker under Allen in Los Angeles and Washington.^[18] In his first year, his team started 6–0 but then lost 8 of their last 10 games to finish 8–8, being the only team until the 2003 Minnesota Vikings to start 6–0 and miss the playoffs. Then, in the offseason, Redskins majority owner Jack Kent Cooke moved from Los Angeles to Virginia and took over the team's day-by-day operations from Edward Bennett Williams.^[52]

Pardee era (1979–1980)

The Redskins chose well during the

Pardee's tenure did not last long though, for he was fired after posting a 6–10 record in 1980.^[18] He did, however, select Art Monk in the first-round.

Joe Gibbs era (1981–1992)

1981

On January 13, 1981, owner

The 1982 season started with two road wins and high hopes in Washington. Then starting on September 21, 1982,^[59] the NFL faced a 57-day-long players' strike, which reduced the 1982 season from a 16 games per team to nine. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament, in which eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. After the strike was settled, the Redskins dominated, winning six out of the seven remaining games to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976.^[18] Mark Moseley also got some attention on December 19, 1982, when he kicked his 21st consecutive field goal against the Giants, breaking Garo Yepremian's NFL record of 20.^[59]

During 1982, players like quarterback

On January 15, 1983, during the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, Riggins rushed for a Redskins playoff record 185 yards (169 m), leading Washington to a 21–7 win and a place in the NFC Championship Game against Dallas, whom they beat 31–17.^[59] The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, and their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17 on January 30, 1983.^[31] Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17–13, the coaches called "70 Chip" a play designed for short yardage.^[63] Riggins instead gained 43 yards (39 m) by running through would-be tackler Don McNeal and getting the go-ahead touchdown. The Redskins ended up winning by a 27–17 score.

John Riggins (left) and Mark Murphy (right) made key offensive and defensive plays in Super Bowl XVII, respectively, to help the Redskins win their first Super Bowl.

1983

The

In the postseason, the Redskins beat the Los Angeles Rams 51–7.^[31] The next week, Washington beat the San Francisco 49ers 24–21.^[31] It was their final win of the season because two weeks later, the Los Angeles Raiders beat the Redskins 38–9 in Super Bowl XVIII.^[31]

1984

During the offseason, the Redskins signed future standout

The 1985 season was disappointing to the franchise. Week 1 opened as usual with a trip to Texas Stadium. The game proved a disaster as Joe Theismann threw five interceptions and was taunted by Cowboys fans singing "Happy Birthday" en route to a 44–14 loss. On November 18, while playing against the Giants, Theismann suffered a comminuted compound fracture to his tibia and fibula during a sack by Lawrence Taylor. The compound fracture forced him to retire after a 12-year career, during which he became the Redskins' all-time leader in pass attempts and completions.^[59] Though the Redskins finished the season with a 10–6 record,^[18] they finished only third in the NFC East and failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in Gibbs' tenure.

1986

The 1986 offseason's major highlight occurred during the

In 1986, the road to the playoffs was even harder, with the Redskins making the postseason as a wild-card team despite having a regular season record of 12–4.^[18] They won the Wild Card playoff against the Rams, and then again in the Divisional playoffs against the Bears. This game was Gibbs 70th career victory, which made him the winningest head coach in Redskins history.^[59] The season ended next week, however, when the Redskins lost to the Giants 17–0 in the NFC Championship game.^[31][59] As the Cowboys sank into irrelevance during the second half of the '80s, New York would become Washington's main rival in the NFC East.

1987

The

The following two seasons, the Redskins did not live up to the expectations of a former Super Bowl team by not making the playoffs in either the 1988 or 1989 seasons. One bright note that came from 1989, however, when Gerald Riggs set the Redskins' all-time single-game rushing record with a 221-yard (202 m) performance in a 42–37 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.^[59] The Redskins returned to the playoffs in 1990 as a Wild Card team, but lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 28–10.^[31]

1991

The 1991 season started with a franchise-record 11 straight victories.^[70] Also during the season, the Hogs allowed a league low and club record nine sacks — the third lowest total in NFL history.^[70] After posting a 14–2 record, the Redskins made and dominated the playoffs, beating the Falcons and Lions by a combined score of 64–17.^[31] On January 26, 1992, the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI by defeating the Buffalo Bills 37–24.^[31] After the Super Bowl, the Redskins set another club record by sending eight players to the Pro Bowl.^[70] Helping the Redskins accomplish this achievement was a trio of wide receivers known as the Posse: Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders. The trio averaged 210 catches for 3,043 yards (2,783 m) per season in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Super Bowl XXVI showcased the receivers' talents, with Clark recording seven catches for 114 yards (104 m) and a touchdown and Monk with seven catches for 113 yards (103 m).

1992

The Redskins in 1992 came close, but failed to equal their success of the previous season. They finished with a record of 9–7 and earned a trip to the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 20–13.^[31] The most impressive feat during the season occurred on October 12, 1992, when Art Monk became the NFL's all-time leading pass receiver against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football by catching his 820th career reception.^[70]

The era ended on March 5, 1993, when Joe Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins.^[70] In what proved to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in NASCAR by founding Joe Gibbs Racing.^[71]

Gibbs retirement (1993)

After the end of Gibbs' first tenure, the Redskins hired former player Richie Petitbon for the 1993 season. However, his first and only year as head coach, the Redskins finished with a record of 4–12.^[18] Petitbon was fired at the end of the season and on February 2, 1994, Norv Turner was hired as head coach after being the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.^[70]

Of the starters from Super Bowl XXVI, the team entered the season having lost Gary Clark, Fred Stokes, Wilber Marshall, and Martin Mayhew through free agency; Don Warren, meanwhile, retired after 1992. And the defections through free agency or retirement did not end there: the team lost Ron Middleton, Art Monk, Charles Mann, Eric Williams, Earnest Byner, Andre Collins, Danny Copeland, Ricky Sanders, and Brad Edwards to free agency by the start of training camp in 1994. Meanwhile, Jeff Bostic, Kelly Goodburn, and Joe Jacoby retired following the 1993 season.

Norv Turner era (1994–1999)

Turner's first two years as head coach were unimpressive, going 9–23 during the 1994 and 1995 season. One individual achievement that happened during these season occurred on October 9, 1994, when linebacker Monte Coleman played in his 206th career game with the Redskins, which broke Art Monk's team record for games played (Coleman retired at season's end with 216 games played).^[70] The team finished 3–13 in 1994, which was the last for Chip Lohmiller, Kurt Gouveia, Raleigh McKenzie, and Mark Schlereth, all of whom left the team via free agency.

The team did see modest improvement in 1995, which was the last for pass rusher Tim Johnson, who left for Cincinnati at season's end; and Jim Lachay, who retired after 1995. The highlight of the season was arguably a season sweep over the hated Cowboys, including a shocking 24–17 upset in week 14 at Irving.

By 1996, and of the 25 players starting for Washington (including kicker Chip Lohmiller and punter Kelly Goodburn) in Super Bowl XXVI, only running back/kick returner Brian Mitchell and cornerback Darrell Green had remained with the team continuously since then. Salary cap problems gutted the Redskins; the attrition through free agency and retirements mentioned above was devastating, to say nothing of attrition of backups from the 1991 Redskins (e.g., backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge retired following the 1992 season, longtime offensive lineman Russ Grimm retired after Super Bowl XXVI, linebacker Monte Coleman retired after 1994. Meanwhile, then-third-string quarterback Stan Humphries was traded to San Diego in training camp in 1992.)

In hope of inspiring the team, on March 13, 1996, Redskins owner

The 1998 season started with a seven-game losing streak,^[75] and the Redskins finished with a 6–10 record, their first losing record in two seasons. On December 27, 1998, however, Brian Mitchell finished the season leading the NFL in total combined net yards for the fourth time. By doing so, he joined Jim Brown as the only players in league history to lead the league in the category four times.^[70]

Daniel Snyder ownership (1999–2023)

1999

In Snyder's first season as owner, the Redskins went 10–6,^[18] including a four-game winning streak early in the season,^[78] and made it to the playoffs for the first time in Norv Turner's career, and the first time for the Redskins since 1992. One of the most important games of the regular season occurred on December 26, 1999, when the Redskins overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 26–20, to give the Redskins their first NFC East crown since 1991.^[70] The final game of the season, on January 2, 2000, against the Dolphins, running back Stephen Davis rushed for a club-record 1,405 yards (1,285 m) and quarterback Brad Johnson completed a club-record 316 passes and threw for more than 4,000 yards (3,700 m).^[79] They then beat the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to the Buccaneers, 14–13. The Redskins had a chance to win the game with a 52-yard (48 m) field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game, but the snap from center Dan Turk to Brad Johnson, the holder, was off and the Bucs won. This was Dan Turk's last game in the NFL, as he died later that year of cancer.

2000

The

On January 3, 2001, the Redskins hired former Browns and Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer as the 24th Redskins head coach.^[79] The 2001 season began with a loss to the San Diego Chargers, 30–3. On September 13, 2001, after the September 11 attacks, the Redskins announced the establishment of the Redskins Relief Fund to help families of the victims of the attack at the Pentagon. During the course of the season, the Redskins raised more than $700,000.^[79] In light of the attacks, the NFL rescheduled the game from the weekend of September 16 and 17 to the weekend of January 6 and 7.

The rest of the Redskins' season was filled with highs and lows. They started 0–5, but then went on to win five consecutive games, to bring their record to 5–5.^[82] Despite the turnaround, they finished the season with an 8–8 record.^[18] However, on January 6, 2002, Stephen Davis became the first Redskin in team history to rush for 1,000-plus yards for three consecutive seasons. He finished the 2001 campaign with 1,432 yards (1,309 m) on 356 carries, which were both franchise single-season records.^[79]

Steve Spurrier era (2002–2003)

2002

On January 14, 2002, Snyder hired former

Hoping for a turnaround from the year before, the Redskins started the

The 2004 season started on a high note on September 12, 2004, during Gibbs' first game back as head coach, when the Redskins defeated the Buccaneers 16–10.^[79] The win was the 500th regular season win in franchise history. It was also Gibbs' 125th regular season win as Redskins head coach, making him responsible for a full one-quarter of the franchise's 500 wins.^[79] However, Gibbs' return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the season with a 6–10 record.^[18]

Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Newly acquired quarterback

The Redskins made only one major move at the beginning the 2005 off-season, acquiring wide receiver

During the 2005 offseason, the Redskins traded back WR

Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Coach Gibbs added former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave as his quarterbacks coach. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the shotgun formation.

The team won its first three games, including a Monday Night Football victory over Dallas. The Monday Night Football game would go down as one of the greatest comebacks in Redskins history. Trailing 13–0 with 3:46 left in the game and facing a 4th down with 15 yards to go at the Dallas 39-yard line, QB Mark Brunell hit WR Santana Moss in the end zone with a pass to cut the lead to 13–7 after the PAT. After Dallas would go three and out on their next possession, The Redskins got the ball back at their 30-yard line. On the next play, Mark Brunell hit Santana Moss again and he went untouched into the endzone for their second touchdown, a 70-yard bomb. The Redskins led 14–13 and held off Dallas' last drive to preserve the come-from-behind win.

The Redskins then fell into a slump, including three straight losses in November, which lessened the chances of the team making the playoffs. However, five consecutive victories at the end of the season allowed Washington to finish the season at 10–6, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. They opened the playoffs on the road against the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7, 2006. They won the rematch by a final score of 17–10,^[31] after taking an early 14–0 lead, which they later seemed to have squandered until replay evidence showed that an apparent touchdown that would have tied the game was in fact an incomplete pass. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) gained in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the Seattle Seahawks, who had received a first-round bye. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 20–10,^[31] ending the Redskins' hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991.

Three team records were broken during the 2005 season.

The inconsistency of the offense during the 2005 season resulted in Gibbs hiring offensive coordinator Al Saunders as the associate head coach – offense. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs through being mentored under Don Coryell and was expected to make the offense become more efficient. Saunders would serve as the primary playcaller. Because of this, it was believed that Gibbs would have the role of head coach/CEO with the Redskins in 2006 and would largely deal with personnel matters, as well as having more time to focus on special teams and defense, while Saunders would supplement Gibbs with the offense. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray to his staff as Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach. Gibbs did lose quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to the Atlanta Falcons over the summer of 2006.

After bringing in new faces

The 2007 season began with the Redskins posting a 5–3 record through nine weeks.[88] The following week the Redskins started a four-game losing streak that did not end until week 14. The first lost came against the Eagles, with a score of 33–25.^[88] Also lost during the game was Sean Taylor, who had to leave early with a knee injury. The Redskins lost the next two games to the Cowboys and Buccaneers.^[88] Though this was thought of as bad, the Redskins did not know just how bad it would get.

Two days after the Buccaneers game, on November 26, 2007, Sean Taylor was shot in the upper leg by an armed intruder at his Palmetto Bay, Florida home while he was resting an injury that had kept him sidelined for the previous two games, critically wounding him by severing his femoral artery.^[89] After undergoing surgery, Taylor remained unconscious and in a coma. On November 27, at 3:30 a.m., Taylor died at the hospital.^[79][90]

On November 30, 2007, law enforcement officials detained four people in the

Wikinews has related news:

• NFL: Redskins' Sean Taylor dies

The NFL recognized the death of Taylor by placing a black #21 sticker on the back of NFL players' helmets, as well as having a moment of silence before each game played that week. The Redskins had the number 21 painted on the field, a parking lot entrance and the Redskins Hall of Fame, all three of which became makeshift memorials. In addition to the #21 sticker on the back of every helmet, the Redskins wore it as a patch on player uniforms, warm-up shirts and coaching staff jackets, as well as unveiling a banner bearing his name and number. His locker at Redskin Park was encased in plexi-glass and left as Taylor left it. The organization also established a

Just five days after Taylor's death,^[88] the Redskins tried to snap their losing streak at home against the Buffalo Bills. Before the kickoff, the stadium held a memorial service for Taylor. For the team's first defensive play, the Redskins came out with only ten players on the field (as opposed to 11) to honor to Taylor. The game ended with the Bills getting into position to kick a game-winning 51-yard (47 m) field goal. The original field goal was good, however Gibbs called timeout right before the snap to "ice the kicker" (a common practice). However, when Buffalo tried to kick again, Gibbs again called timeout. A coach is not allowed to call two timeouts in a row without the ball being in play. This unintentional call got his team an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which not only moved the Bills 15 yards (14 m) closer to their end zone, but reduced Lindell's field goal attempt to 36 yards (33 m). Rian Lindell made the kick, and the Bills won 17–16.^[79][88] With their fourth-straight loss, Washington fell to 5–7.^[88]

On December 3, a day after the loss, the entire Redskins organization flew to Florida and attended Taylor's funeral,

Three days later, the Redskins played the Chicago Bears on a Thursday night, hoping to stop the losing-streak and to honor Taylor properly with a victory. The beginning of the game did not go as planned, with a scoreless first quarter and the loss of starter Jason Campbell, who left early in the second quarter with a dislocated knee. However, backup quarterback Todd Collins led the team to a 24–16 victory, thus ending the losing streak. Collins proved to be more than just a one-game solution, despite not having started a game in 10 years, and led the Redskins to three more straight victories to finish the season with a 9–7 record and secured a Wild Card spot in the players.^[18] They secured that playoff berth on December 30, 2007, with a 27–6 win over the Dallas Cowboys in front of a record-setting FedExField crowd. For many players, the Redskins' 21-point victory margin called to mind the late Taylor, who wore jersey No. 21.^[79]

The Redskins' season came to end a week later, with a loss in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the

Although Sean Taylor's murder trial was originally scheduled for April 7, it was postponed until August 25 because both the defense attorneys and prosecutors were not properly prepared to begin by the initial trial date. On May 12, 2008, it was announced the suspects, if convicted, would not face the death penalty, but may be subjected to life imprisonment.[97] On May 13, 2008, a fifth suspect in the murder of Taylor, Timothy Brown, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling.^[98] Also on May 13, suspect Venjah Hunte signed a plea agreement and will serve 29 years in prison and cooperate with prosecutors.^[99]

Jim Zorn era (2008–2009)

2008

On January 7, 2008, Joe Gibbs announced his retirement for a second time, citing a need to spend more time with his family,^[79] in particular his grandson Taylor, who was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2007.^[100] Being former head coaches themselves, assistant head coach (defense) Gregg Williams and associate head coach (offense) Al Saunders were considered to be the top candidates for replacing Gibbs.^[101] This changed, however, on January 26, 2008, when both were fired and Greg Blache was promoted to defensive coordinator.^[101] The day before, Jim Zorn was hired as offensive coordinator.^[101] The hunt for a new coach lasted two more weeks with numerous coaches mentioned as a possible replacement, including former Giants coach Jim Fassel, Giants' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks, and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz,^[101] but nothing was finalized. The biggest surprise came on February 10, 2008, when the Redskins promoted newly hired offensive coordinator Zorn as head coach instead of hiring someone else outside the franchise.^[79][102] On February 15, 2008, Sherman Smith, former running backs coach for the Tennessee Titans, was hired as an offensive coordinator.^[103]

The franchise and fans alike expressed great pride on February 2, 2008, when the

The Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a 7-year, $100 million contract in the offseason. They also signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a 6-year, $54 million contract. Hall had joined the team for the final seven games of the 2008 season after being released by the Oakland Raiders.

The Redskins also signed offensive guard

After starting the season 2–3, although every Redskins' opponent had been previously winless, the Redskins hired former NFL offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant. Following a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Lewis was promoted to playcalling duties with coach Jim Zorn was stripped of those duties. Despite huge controversy of the job security of coach Zorn, Vinny Cerrato had stated that Zorn will be the coach of the Redskins for the remainder of the season. However, Zorn and Campbell would outlast Cerrato himself, as he resigned after Week 14. While at the time it was stated in the press that Cerrato resigned, in a January 2013 interview with The Washington Post, Snyder stated he had in fact fired Cerrato for allowing him to hire the unqualified Jim Zorn as the head coach.^[109] Three days before the Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, the Redskins hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Bruce Allen. Despite the fanfare surrounding the Redskins after hiring the son of George Allen, the man who began the winning tradition in Washington, the Redskins were routed 45–12, being swept by the Giants for the third time in four years.

The Redskins finished their 2009 season on January 3, 2010, with a 23–20 loss to the San Diego Chargers. The next day, in the early morning, head coach Jim Zorn was fired. They finished with the 2009 season with a 4–12 record.

Mike Shanahan era (2010–2013)

2010

On January 5, 2010,

Early in his tenure at Washington, Mike Shanahan entered into a heated controversy with star defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth, unhappy with the prospect of playing the position of nose tackle in the new 3–4 defense, did not attend off-season team activities or mandatory minicamp. Shanahan refused to let Haynesworth practice at preseason camp until he passed a fitness test. Haynesworth was unable to pass this test for several weeks, during which the divide between him and Shanahan grew deeper. On December 7, 2010, Haynesworth was suspended for the last four games of the season for conduct detrimental to the team, after he told general manager Bruce Allen that he refused to speak to Coach Shanahan after Shanahan made Haynesworth inactive in Week 13 for poor practice the week prior. Shanahan said the suspension followed a refusal by Haynesworth to cooperate in a series of ways and not only because of the practice absence.

On April 4, 2010, the team acquired Pro Bowl quarterback

The Redskins won their season opener, 13–7, at FedExField against the Dallas Cowboys on September 12, 2010. The game was also Coach Shanahan's debut with the team.[113] On October 24, 2010, DeAngelo Hall recorded 4 interceptions in a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, tying former Redskin Sammy Baugh with a team single-game pass interception record. The Redskins went on to win the game 17–14 and earned Hall a Pro-Bowl spot with his performance.

On December 17, only three days before the Redskins traveled to Dallas, Coach Shanahan announced that McNabb would no longer be the starting quarterback, and he was benched in favor of Rex Grossman. McNabb was the second-string quarterback for the Dallas game, and the third-string quarterback for the last two games of the season. Shanahan also reportedly told McNabb that he could not guarantee that McNabb would be with the team the next year. In the game against Dallas, Grossman threw for 322 yards, 4 touchdowns and two 2-pt conversions, yet he turned the ball over three times. It was not enough, however, to overcome the Cowboys, who won 33–30. The Redskins would finish the season with a 6–10 record.

2011

At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Mike Shanahan stated that the Redskins were going to revamp their roster in the coming offseason via trades, free agency and the draft. On February 28, after finishing the last three seasons on IR, the Redskins released Clinton Portis, due to the $8 million he was scheduled to make next season. The Redskins then released veteran guard Derrick Dockery and linebacker Andre Carter. On March 3, the Redskins signed O.J Atogwe to a five-year contract. The Redskins then traded troubled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to the New England Patriots for a 5th-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Redskins then traded Quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Minnesota Vikings for two 6th round draft picks. The Redskins chose not to re-sign their 2005 first round draft pick Carlos Rogers, who later signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

In the 2011 NFL draft, the Redskins traded the 10th overall pick to the

On the 10th Anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks which impacted both the cities of New York and Washington, D.C., the Redskins won their season opener, 28–14, at FedExField against the New York Giants. The game also featured an interception for a touchdown by 2011 first round draft pick Ryan Kerrigan against quarterback Eli Manning of the Giants.

During Week 6, quarterback Rex Grossman was benched in favor of backup John Beck after throwing four interceptions. John Beck was then given the nod by Coach Mike Shanahan to start the following week. Beck started the next three games going 0–3, and was finally benched after Shanahan realized that while Beck's mobility was exceptional and superior to Grossman's, he did not have the range of Grossman. Running back Tim Hightower played well starting in five of the Redskins' six games, in which he rushed for 321 yards on 84 carries with two total touchdowns, Hightower was placed on injured reserve due to a torn ACL. Afterward, Coach Shanahan began splitting reps between RB Ryan Torain and rookie RB Roy Helu. Torain showed inconsistency throughout the season, despite a good start against the Rams which he rushed for over 100 yards and 1 touchdown. On November 6, 2011, in his first career start, Helu broke the Redskins all-time record for receptions in a game with 14 catches, in a loss against the San Francisco 49ers. On November 27, 2011, Helu rushed for a Redskins rookie-record 108 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks' top-ten ranked run defense. He was then named the full-time starter by Coach Shanahan, and responded with three consecutive 100 yard performances. Following his 126-yard performance against the New England Patriots, Helu led all active rookies in rush yards. His streak of three consecutive 100 yard games is the most by any Redskins rookie in franchise history; a record he was unable to extend to four games due to an injury he sustained. During Week 16 against the Vikings rookie RB Evan Royster made his first career start rushing for 132 yards on 19 carries while Helu was nursing an injured knee and toe. After week 13 the Redskins were informed that starting TE Fred Davis and LT Trent Willams would be suspended for the rest of the season for failing consecutive drug tests. On December 27 RB Ryan Torain was released and the Redskins activated WR Aldrick Robinson, their 6th pick, from the practice squad making 11 of the Redskins 2011 draft picks on the 53-man roster (the only one who did not make it was 2nd round pick DE Jarvis Jenkins who was placed on IR during the preseason). The Redskins finished the season at 5–11, which was the worst season recorded for Shanahan at the time.

2012, division title

The long-awaited arrival of the practice bubble at Redskins Park was completed in early 2012.

Pierre Garçon and Josh Morgan were the first two free agents signings that the Redskins made for the 2012 season. Veteran kicker Neil Rackers was also signed to compete with inconsistent starter, Graham Gano. The team re-signed defensive co-captain, London Fletcher, to a five-year deal that expires in two. The Redskins also proceeded to re-sign last season's starters, Tim Hightower, Will Montgomery, Adam Carriker, and Kory Lichtensteiger during the offseason. They decided to not re-sign LaRon Landry, making him the third player who was a first-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins to leave the team since the Shanahan administration; the first being Campbell (via trade) and the second being Rogers (via free agency). Landry would later sign a one-year deal with the New York Jets.

The Redskins released veteran fullback,

Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo tore his left Pectoral muscle in a Week 2 game against the St. Louis Rams, on a play in which he had a sack and forced fumble. It was the same muscle he injured the previous season in the final game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Head coach Mike Shanahan confirmed the next day that Orakpo would have surgery and miss the remainder of the season and be placed on the injured reserve list. Orakpo's injury highlighted a slew of injuries suffered by the Redskins in 2012.

The Redskins would go on to make the 2012–13 NFL playoffs after winning their final seven games of the season en route to winning their division championship for the 13th time in franchise history, including defeating the

The Redskins would go on to face the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the 2012–2013 NFL playoffs. The Redskins quickly jumped out to a 14–0 lead on the Seahawks in the first quarter but Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III would tweak a previous knee injury he got against the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the season while scrambling to pick up a first down, he was hit by the Ravens 350 lb. defensive tackle Haloti Ngata causing his knee to bend awkwardly and spraining his LCL. Griffin III would try his best though to lead his team to victory and stayed in the game and played through the pain, although he was not very effective he showed courage up to the moment on a bobbled snap, his knee gave out from underneath him and he tore his LCL and ACL. The loss of RGIII proved to be too much for the Redskins to overcome, and eventually succumbed to the Seahawks 24–14. Griffin III had surgery on January 9, 2013, performed by Dr. James Andrews and both his LCL and ACL were repaired. Griffin then vowed to return better than ever for the Redskins 2013 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

After winning the NFC East in the previous season, hopes were high for a repeat in 2013. However, these hopes were in vain, as poor play and controversy stirred during the entire year, leading to the disastrous record of 3–13. This was the worst record the Redskins have posted since 1994. Even though most players had a down year compared to last season, Pierre Garçon had his greatest season statistically yet. Garcon eventually broke Art Monk's 29-year-old franchise record for catches in a single season. Garcon had 113 catches total, which broke Monk's 106 catches in 1984 by seven.^[122]

The Washington Redskins fired Shanahan and most of his staff on December 30, 2013.^[123]

Jay Gruden era (2014–2019)

2014

On January 9, 2014, the Redskins hired Jay Gruden as their head coach. Gruden became the eighth head coach of the team since Daniel Snyder purchased the franchise in 1999.^[124] Gruden lost his first regular season game as an NFL coach against the Houston Texans 17–6 with the Texans defense controlling the Washington offense for the majority of the game. Gruden would then go on to win his first game as an NFL head coach the following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars 41–10. Gruden and the Redskins struggled throughout the season, having three different quarterbacks start games, amounting to a 4–12 record. Defense coordinator Jim Haslett was fired at the end of the season.^[125]

In August 2014, team owner

On January 7, 2015, the Redskins hired Scot McCloughan to be their general manager.^[127] McCloughan took over control of the roster from Bruce Allen, who was given the sole title of team president after the hiring. On October 25, 2015, the Redskins had their largest comeback win in franchise history, coming back to win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–30, after being down 0–24 in the second quarter.^[128]

The Redskins clinched the NFC East division title on December 26, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, 38–24.^[129] The division title was their third since Snyder took over ownership of the team, and was the first since the 1999 season to be clinched before Week 17. The Redskins hosted the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round on January 10, 2016, but lost 35–18, ending their 2015 season.^[130]

Kirk Cousins, who took over as starting quarterback in the preseason, finished the season with career highs in touchdowns (29), yards (4,166), and completion percentage (69.8%). His completion percentage led the league, while his 29 touchdowns tied him for second on the franchise single-season list.^[131]

2016

Prior to the start of the season, the Redskins announced that they had hired Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group to begin work on a new stadium.^[132] The team's offense in 2016 set several franchise records, including having over 6,000 total net yards, which was only the third time in franchise history the team had accomplished that.^[133] Quarterback Kirk Cousins also set single-season team records in attempts, completions, and passing yards, breaking many of his records he had previously set in 2015.^[133] DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garçon, Jamison Crowder, Robert Kelley, Chris Thompson, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, and Matt Jones all finished the season with at least 500 yards from scrimmage, tying the 2011 New Orleans Saints for the most in a single season in NFL history.^[133]

Despite the numerous records set, the Redskins missed the playoffs, losing 19–10 in a "win and in" situation against the New York Giants in the final week of the season.^[134] However, the Redskins still finished the season with a record of 8–7–1, giving the team their first consecutive winning seasons in nearly 20 years.^[135] In contrast with the record setting offense, the team's defense had a poor season, finishing 29 out of 32 teams in total defense, which lead to the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Barry, as well as three of his assistants.^[136]

2017

2017 was the team's 85th season. While playing under the franchise tag, Kirk Cousins threw for over 4,000 passing yards. The Redskins finished the year at 7–9 missing the playoffs. After the season, Cousins left the team as a free agent to join the Minnesota Vikings, ending his six-year tenure with the Redskins.

2018

Following the departure of

During the season, the Redskins got off to a promising start with their new quarterback with a record of 6–3 record. However, during a Week 11 game against the Houston Texans, Smith would break his leg with a spiral compound fracture to his tibia and fibula that would end his season.^[138] This led to a Quarterback carousel of Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, and Josh Johnson. The Redskins would not recover from the injuries as they would collapse losing 1–6 and end up finishing the season 7–9 for the second year in a row and missing the playoffs. The Redskins had a league-high 25 players on injured reserve at the end of the season.

2019

Due to Alex Smith's injury, the Redskins acquired

With a league worst 0–5 record at the time tying with the Cincinnati Bengals, and their worst start since 2001, the Redskins fired head coach Jay Gruden on October 7, 2019.^[147] Gruden finished his six-year tenure with the Redskins with a 35–49–1 regular season record with one playoff appearance. Bill Callahan was named the interim head coach as of result.^[148] Callahan got the Redskins first victory over the 0–4 Miami Dolphins snapping a 7-game losing streak dating back to Week 16 of last year.^[149] This was Callahan's first NFL victory as a head coach since Week 15 with the Oakland Raiders in 2003.

Throughout the season, fans voiced their apathy and displeasure with the team's management by owner Dan Snyder and team president Bruce Allen, and reports of dysfunction within the Redskins organization often surfaced.^[150][151] Following a 3–13 finish to the season, Allen was fired by the Redskins, ending a 10-year stint with the team.^[152]

Rebranding, federal investigations into Snyder (2020–2023)

The team underwent several changes in 2020, including retiring the Redskins name and logo and hiring former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera in the same role, as well as naming Jason Wright as team president, the first black person named to that position in NFL history.^{[153][154][155]} Some notable members of Rivera's staff include former Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator and Scott Turner, the son of former Redskins head coach Norv Turner, as offensive coordinator.^[156][157]

Under Rivera and Del Rio, the team switched their defensive scheme from a

Earlier in 2020, minority owners Robert Rothman, Dwight Schar, and Frederick W. Smith were reported to have hired an investment banking firm to help search for potential buyers for their stake in the team, worth around 40 percent combined.^[162] The group, who bought their stake in 2003, were reported to have urged Snyder to change the name for years.^[162] In April 2021, Snyder was approved by the league for a debt waiver of $400 million to acquire the remaining 40 percent in a deal worth over $800 million.^[163]

Some other additions and changes in 2021 included the team hiring Martin Mayhew as general manager and Marty Hurney as another high-ranking executive.^[164] With the hiring of Mayhew, who is black, Washington became the first team in NFL history to concurrently have a minority general manager, head coach, and president.^[165] Ryan Kerrigan, the franchise's all-time leader in sacks, left the team as a free agent to sign with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

A year-long independent investigation into the team's