Building a 20-0 all-time Commanders team

While the Washington Commanders continue to deal with the never-ending Brandon Aiyuk saga, their head coach has been drawing fire from critics. But on this holiday weekend, it’s time to look back on better days for the franchise. And so we will build a 20-0 all-time Commanders team.

Our goal is to build the perfect beast. We basically want to make a lineup on each side of the ball with the best players in franchise history. And who could keep this group of Commanders, assembled for the 2026 season, from going 20-0? Nobody.

It should be noted that this isn’t a “who had the best statistics exercise.” That would be boring. This is: I want these guys on my team! Let’s go!

Quarterback Joe Theismann

This one is surprisingly easy. The Commanders haven’t had a long list of great quarterbacks. In fact, when compared to other organizations, it pales. Just how much does it pale? Here’s a clue: if Jayden Daniels were to lead the Commanders to a Super Bowl win this year, he would seriously threaten Theismann for this spot.

But the reason we like Theismann over Sonny Jurgensen or Sammy Baugh is leadership. Theismann was a captain of men. And he was tough. How many NFL organizations can say their all-time great quarterback volunteered to be a punt returner just to get on the field? Theismann did it enthusiastically, according to chiefswire.com via Yahoo.

“When I went to the Redskins, I love playing,” Theismann said. “I love being on the practice field. (And) I love training camp. I love everything about it, and this was a chance to contribute. So finally, against the (New York) Giants, I had a chance to return punts in 1974 and did it again in 1975 until I became a starting quarterback in 1978.“

Toughness. And leadership. And a winner. From 1982 to 1983, Washington went 22-3 and came within one game of winning back-to-back Super Bowls. And people might forget that Washington beat the Raiders in the regular season in 1983 with Theismann throwing for 417 yards and three TDs. Things didn’t go as well in the Super Bowl rematch.

Running back John Riggins

There’s no debate here. Zero questions. Riggins was the finisher for the Commanders franchise in their greatest-ever season.

During his prime, he was one of the most frustrating players in NFL history from a defensive standpoint. He gained enough yards on every play to keep the clock running, chains moving, and your offense off the field.

If head coach Joe Gibbs had paired with Riggins a few years earlier, Washington may have won another Super Bowl with Riggins.

He’s the all-time franchise leader with 7,472 yards and 79 TDs.

Wide receiver Art Monk

Perhaps no player epitomized the Commanders’ run to three Super Bowl victories more than Monk. He retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in catches and yards.

But it was also about his availability and durability. From 1984-86, Monk was targeted 154, 154, and 147 times. The game plan ran through him. And he consistently delivered

Wide receiver Gary Clark

When you’re building a great team, you need an explosive threat at wide receiver. Clark earned this spot because of his playmaking ability down the field.

In 1991, he averaged 19.1 yards per catch, totaled 1,340 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns. Throughout his career, he was the player defensive coordinators lost sleep over.

Wide receiver Charley Taylor

We’re not going to worry about who plays inside in this group of three. Let’s allow the coaching staff to figure out a way to make it work. We’re not leaving Taylor off the squad.

He totaled eight Pro Bowl seasons from his rookie year in 1964 to the 1975 honor before a knee injury pretty much ended his career. Taylor’s 9,100 receiving yards rank No. 2 on the Commanders’ all-time list.

Tight end Jerry Smith

The Commanders haven’t had a plethora of great tight ends. So this is a tougher call than other positions.

But since Smith was a touchdown machine, he gets the nod. From 1966-70, Smith caught six or more TD passes every year. A 12-touchdown explosion in 1967 set the standard.

Left tackle Joe Jacoby

The Hogs dominate the offensive line on this team, just like they dominated defenses back in the day. And Jacoby was the ultimate hog. From 1983-86, he stood out on one of the best lines in the history of professional football.

At 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, he was a man among boys. And he toyed with defensive linemen.

Left guard Russ Grimm

In the same span as Jacoby, Grimm dominated right beside him. He earned three straight AP All-Pro honors and was available every Sunday.

A case can be made for his value as the best the Hogs had because of the way the team consistently earned tough yards between the tackles.

Center Len Hauss

The longevity and depth of Hauss’ career make him the standout at this position. From 1966-75, Hauss earned five Pro Bowl honors and two second-team All-Pro selections.

Plus, there’s no denying his availability. He started 10 games in his rookie season in 1964. And then from 1965 until his retirement after the 1977 season, he started every single game for Washington. What a run.

Right guard Mark Schlereth

Coming in at the tail end of the Commanders franchise’s greatest years, Schlereth established himself in his third season. He was a Pro Bowl member for Washington’s second-greatest offensive line, the 1991 group that powered the team to its third Super Bowl title.

While the guard position hasn’t been a Washington strength through the years, Schlereth stood out and earned this spot.

Right tackle Trent Williams

The idea is not to worry about specific positions, but to put the best team on the field. Williams couldn’t beat out Jacoby at left tackle, but he gets the call on the other side.

Williams has earned 12 Pro Bowl appearances, including seven in a row with the Commanders.

Defensive tackle Dave Butz

Butz was a mountain of a man, standing 6-7 and weighing 291 pounds. He simply could not be moved.

Butz earned only one Pro Bowl honor, but he fit perfectly into Gibbs’ desire to run the football and stop the other teams from running it. It’s fair to call Butz an underrated player.

Defensive tackle Diron Talbert

One of the calling cards for Talbert was his ability to get to the quarterback from an interior position. From 1974-76, Talbert racked up sack totals of 10, 10, and 12.5. He also earned his lone Pro Bowl appearance in 1974.

There’s a nod to Gene Brito for this spot. But he stood 6-1 and weighed 226 pounds. Talbert was 6-5 and 255 pounds. We’ll take the bigger and stronger guy from a more modern era.

Edge rusher Dexter Manley

For a four-year stretch, Manley terrorized opposing offenses. He recorded 57 sacks from 1983-86. For his career, he remains the Commanders’ all-time sack leader with 97.

Also, Manley forever etched himself in Commanders’ lore when he tipped Gary Hogeboom’s attempted screen pass to Tony Dorsett in the 1982 NFL Championship game against the hated Cowboys. Darryl Grant plucked it out of the air and scored a short touchdown, giving the Commanders an insurmountable 31-17 fourth-quarter lead en route to their first Super Bowl title.

Edge rusher Charles Mann

Mann came on board with the Commanders franchise in 1983. He went on to total four double-digit-sack seasons and earned four Pro Bowl honors.

Teaming up with Manley for most of his career, he helped Washington have one of the more feared pass rushes of the 1980s.

Linebacker Chris Hanburger

The results speak for themselves. Hanburger was the epitome of Washington football from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.

Hanburger earned nine Pro Bowl honors with four in a row from 1966-69, and five in a row from 1972-76. Simply put, Hanburger was a tackling machine who made play after play.

Linebacker Wilber Marshall

The Commanders got Marshall from the Bears before the 1988 season. He put together three uninspiring campaigns before cutting loose in 1991 and 1992.

He earned second-team AP All-Pro honors in 1991 and finished No. 6 in the defensive player of the year voting. Then in 1992, he was a first-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowl selection, and he finished third in the defensive player of the year voting.

Linebacker London Fletcher

Despite not arriving in Washington until his age-34 season, Fletcher turned in his NFL-best efforts in a Commanders uniform. He earned four straight Pro Bowl honors from 2009-2012, the first honors of his career. In 2011, he led the NFL with 166 tackles.

It says a little something about the weakness of the position that an aging linebacker like Fletcher could etch his name in Commanders’ lore.

Cornerback Darrell Green

The only position more settled than Riggins at running back is this one. Green is arguably the greatest player in the history of Washington football.

He burst onto the scene in his first NFL season in 1983, finishing second in the defensive rookie of the year voting. After that, he would go on to play 19 more seasons. And every one of them was with the Commanders’ franchise.

Green earned seven Pro Bowl honors in his Hall of Fame career. He finished with an incredible 54 career interceptions.

Cornerback Champ Bailey

The Commanders famously traded Bailey to the Broncos in the deal that brought Clinton Portis to Washington. It should be noted that after the 2004 trade, Portis posted one Pro Bowl season. Bailey went on to have eight such honors with the Broncos. Yuck.

But since Bailey was the runner-up for AP defensive rookie of the Year in 1999 and then turned in four straight Pro Bowl appearances for the Commanders, he still fits in this all-time lineup.

Safety Sean Taylor

Oh, what might have been. Taylor was only 24 years old when he tragically died during the 2007 season. In 2006, he had a season with 114 tackles and an interception for his first Pro Bowl honor.

We’ll take Taylor over other standouts at the position based on what he almost surely would have become.

Safety Ken Houston

Talk about longevity and consistency. Houston was both of those things.

He earned an amazing 12 straight Pro Bowl honors, the last seven of those with the Washington franchise. He also earned AP first-team All-Pro honors twice in that span.

Kick returner Brian Mitchell

The Commanders had a gem in Mitchell. He finished his career with 3,476 yards in punt returns and seven touchdowns. Also, he added 9,586 kick return yards with two more scores.

The sheer volume works for this team.

Place-kicker Chip Lohmiller

It’s a tough call between Mark Moseley and Lohmiller. Neither had a great percentage by today’s standards. But it was a different game back then.

Lohmiller made 71.4% of his kicks from 1988-94 for Washington. Moseley hit on only 66.2% from 1974-86. Each had one Super Bowl win.

Head coach Joe Gibbs

Need we say anything? Gibbs was the driving force behind Super Bowl victories in 1982, 1987, and 1991. And he also got Washington to the big game in 1983.

It’s an easy call. The Commanders don’t have a rich tradition of great coaches. And Gibbs is so far out in front of the pack that it’s not even funny.

He was money in the postseason, finishing his career with a record of 17-7.