The Washington Commanders are doing the right thing at last. On Nov. 8, they will retire John Riggins' No. 44 and honor a player who helped define one of the franchise's best eras. It is a fitting tribute, and frankly, it is hard to argue with the timing now that the relationship between Riggins and the team has finally been repaired.
For a franchise that has spent far too much time making itself look confused about its own history, this is an easy call. Riggins is not just another old name from a different era. He is a Hall of Fame running back, a Super Bowl MVP, and one of the most important figures in Washington's legacy. Retiring his number makes No. 44 the seventh retired number in franchise history, alongside those worn by Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Sean Taylor, Darrell Green, Sonny Jurgensen and Art Monk.
A career that still demands respect
Riggins began playing for Washington in 1976 and stayed until 1985, piling up 7,742 rushing yards and 85 touchdowns, including 79 rushing touchdowns. Those are not decorative numbers. They are the record of a runner who changed games and gave Washington an identity that carried real weight.
The defining image remains Jan. 30, 1983. Riggins rushed for 166 yards and delivered the 43-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 with 10:10 remaining in Washington's 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP, and that night remains one of the signature performances in the franchise's history. It was the kind of playoff moment teams spend decades trying to recreate.
And then there was 1984, when Riggins became the oldest player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards at 35 years and three months old. That mattered too, because it showed he was not merely a great player in his first five seasons. He was still forcing the league to reckon with him long after most backs would have faded.
What changed between then and now
Riggins was once distant from the franchise, and the split was real. He called former team owner Dan Snyder a 'dark heart,' and he also did not like the team changing its name to the Commanders. That was not the sound of a relationship on pause. It was the sound of a break.
But after Josh Harris purchased the team in 2023, the atmosphere changed. Riggins and other alumni resumed a relationship with the club. He attended the 2023 season opener, then came back this spring for an OTA practice and spoke to the team. This is how a franchise should handle its history: not by pretending the uncomfortable years never happened, but by making room for the people who actually built something worth remembering.
Harris put it plainly, saying that Riggo helped define one of the most successful eras in team history, and that his rare combination of physicality, fearlessness and personality captivated fans and inspired teammates. That is not fluff. It is the right framing. Riggins mattered because he played like a man who expected the ball, the contact and the responsibility. Fans admired him, but more importantly, they identified with him.
Riggins himself has said he wanted to hear the applause one more time. He will get that chance on Nov. 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, and it should be a proper one. The Commanders have waited long enough to do this. At least this time, they are not getting in the way of their own history.
