Redskins to Award 1987 Replacement Players with Super Bowl Rings

The Philadelphia Eagles aren't the only NFC East team dealing with Super Bowl rings this offseason.

The Washington Redskins announced Wednesday that they will honor replacement players from the 1987 squad with Super Bowl XXII rings:

Washington went 11-4 that season and captured its second Super Bowl championship with a 42-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos. 

A midseason strike by the players association shortened the 1987 season by one week, and replacement players came in and played three games as well. The players wanted to change the way free agency worked, and they decided a lockout was the best way to send a message.

Ultimately, the strike lasted 24 days before the two sides reached a compromise.

While the strike negatively impacted some teams, Washington didn't miss a beat. Its replacement players won all three games, setting the tone for what would be a season to remember in a year the league would like to forget.

Washington released most of the replacement players after the strike ended. While they all received playoff shares, only those who remained on the team following the strike received Super Bowl rings.

Now, Washington finally wants to make things right.

Team owner Dan Snyder announced Wednesday that the organization will properly honor those who contributed to the Super Bowl run:

"The 3-0 record of the Redskins replacement players was part of the remarkable success of the 1987 Washington Redskins. Their contributions are part of Redskins history and represent an integral reason why a Lombardi Trophy from the 1987 campaign resides in our facility today. Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners on this project, we are happy to honor these players for their role in that World Championship."

The rings will come more than three decades after the fact, but it's better late than never.