NFL Team Guide

Washington Commanders: History, Super Bowls & Facts

Washington's NFL franchise began in Boston in 1932 and moved to Washington in 1937. It has won two NFL championships (1937, 1942) and three Super Bowls (1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons).

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Quick facts

Founded	1932 in Boston, as the Boston Braves
Moved to Washington	1937
Super Bowl titles	3 (XVII, XXII, XXVI)
Pre-Super Bowl NFL titles	2 (1937, 1942)
Stadium	Northwest Stadium, Landover, Md. (opened 1997); a new stadium at the RFK Campus in D.C. was announced in 2025, planned for 2030
Name history	Braves (1932), Redskins (1933–2019), Washington Football Team (2020–21), Commanders (2022–)

Super Bowl history

Washington won three Super Bowls in 10 seasons under head coach Joe Gibbs, each with a different starting quarterback. Through the 2025 season the franchise had played in five Super Bowls.

1937 NFL Championship: beat the Chicago Bears 28–21
1942 NFL Championship: beat the Chicago Bears 14–6
Super Bowl XVII (1982 season): beat the Miami Dolphins 27–17
Super Bowl XXII (1987 season): beat the Denver Broncos 42–10
Super Bowl XXVI (1991 season): beat the Buffalo Bills 37–24
Also reached Super Bowl VII (1972 season) and Super Bowl XVIII (1983 season)

Franchise history

1932: Founded in Boston as the Braves; renamed the Redskins in 1933.
1937: Moved to Washington and won the NFL title with rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh.
1981: Hired head coach Joe Gibbs.
1988: Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl (XXII).
1997: Moved from RFK Stadium to a new stadium in Landover, Maryland, renamed Northwest Stadium in 2024.
2022: Became the Washington Commanders after two seasons as the Washington Football Team.
2025: A new stadium at the RFK Campus in D.C. was announced and approved by the D.C. Council, planned for 2030.

Franchise record holders

Passing yards	Joe Theismann, 25,206
Rushing yards	John Riggins, 7,472
Receiving yards	Art Monk, 12,026

Retired numbers

9Sonny Jurgensen
21Sean Taylor
28Darrell Green
33Sammy Baugh
49Bobby Mitchell
81Art Monk

Hall of Famers

Sammy Baugh, Cliff Battles, Turk Edwards, Wayne Millner, Ray Flaherty, George Preston Marshall, Sonny Jurgensen, Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, George Allen, John Riggins, Joe Gibbs, Art Monk, Darrell Green, Russ Grimm.

Biggest rivalries

Dallas Cowboys: NFC East rivals since the Cowboys entered the NFL in 1960.
Philadelphia Eagles: NFC East rivals who beat Washington in the NFC Championship Game after the 2024 season.
New York Giants: longtime division rivals in the NFL East and then the NFC East.

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Washington Commanders FAQ

How many Super Bowls have the Commanders won?

Three: Super Bowl XVII (1982 season), XXII (1987 season) and XXVI (1991 season). Washington also won NFL championships in 1937 and 1942.

When did Washington become the Commanders?

The team dropped the Redskins name in July 2020 and played as the Washington Football Team in 2020 and 2021. The Commanders name was announced in February 2022.

Where did the franchise start?

In Boston, as the Braves in 1932. It became the Redskins in 1933 and moved to Washington in 1937.

Is a new Commanders stadium planned?

Yes. A new stadium at the RFK Campus in Washington, D.C., was announced in 2025 and is planned for 2030.

Who is Washington's career passing leader?

Joe Theismann, with 25,206 passing yards from 1974 to 1985.

Sources

Facts checked September 23, 2026. Live figures above come from ESPN.

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