The Washington Commanders are finally doing what should have been done a long time ago. They’re retiring John Riggins’ No. 44 jersey.
The team made it official Thursday, dropping a nearly seven-minute tribute video and confirming the ceremony will happen when Washington hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 8. ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed the news on X, posting that the Commanders are retiring Riggins’ number that Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Riggins spent nine seasons in Washington, starting in 1976 and then again from 1981 to 1985 after a stint with the New York Jets. He ran for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns across his Hall of Fame career. Seven Pro Bowls, a first-team All-Pro nod, and a gold jacket in 1992. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
Why This One Hits Different
The real reason this jersey retirement matters is the 1982 season. Riggins basically carried Washington to its first Super Bowl win. He ran for 166 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins, earning MVP honors. And that 43-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1? It’s one of those plays they still show during every Super Bowl week. The man just refused to go down.
He also set an NFL postseason record by scoring a touchdown in eight straight playoff games during Washington’s championship run. That record still stands. Nobody has touched it.
A Long Overdue Honor
Riggins retired after the 1985 season and got into the Hall of Fame seven years later. But his number has stayed in circulation until now. That puts him in an exclusive club within the franchise, alongside guys like Darrell Green and Art Monk. The ceremony on Nov. 8 will officially lock him into that group.
The Commanders put out a video that basically says it all: “The spark behind so many successes. A force who fueled lifetime memories.” It’s hard to argue with that. Riggins wasn’t just a good running back. He was the identity of that early-80s Washington team. The Diesel. The guy who told a senator to “loosen up” and then went out and won a Super Bowl.
For a franchise that’s been through name changes, ownership drama, and a lot of losing seasons in recent years, this feels like a genuine moment. Something worth celebrating. The Rams game is already going to mean something. Now it means a little more.
Leave a Comment