Super Bowl XVII hero John Riggins was unhappy with the Washington NFL franchise changing its name to the Washington Commanders a year ago. Riggins requested the team not put his name on a Commanders jersey, in which the team pulled his jerseys from its store.
Riggins also pleaded for other former Washington players not to associate with the Commanders.
“I feel completely disenfranchised,” Riggins said in February 2022. “I can’t understand how anyone who once played under the old franchise name could possibly want to be a part of anything to do with the Washington Commanders.”
A lot can change over time, and Riggins has loosened his stance somewhat following the team’s sale. Riggins first attended the Economic’s Club dinner with new Commanders owners Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales. Riggins was also one of several Washington alumni who attended the Commanders’ season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Week 1 game was the first regular season contest under the team’s new ownership. Washington had a sellout crowd of over 64,000 fans at FedEx Field, who watched the Commanders defeat the Arizona Cardinals 20-16.
Riggins enjoyed the game in the stands next to Rales, who wore a Riggins jersey. The Commanders fans serenaded Riggins during the game, in which he took the liberty of showing off his custom-made jacket with the old “Redskins” logo on the inside flap.
Riggins’s issues were beyond the team name. He previously criticized former owner Dan Snyder. He was not alone. Many former Washington players were distant while Snyder owned the team. Now that he is gone, Riggins and other team alumni like Champ Bailey and Robert Griffin III have returned.
The Commanders store features the Washington football legend’s jersey. While John Riggins returned to support the franchise he once played for, it is evident he is holding on to some of the remnants of Washington’s old moniker, much like some fans.
