John Riggins' No. 44 Commanders Jersey to Be Retired, Hall of Famer Won Super Bowl With Washington

The Washington Commanders announced Thursday that they will retire the No. 44 jersey number of Hall of Fame running back John Riggins on Nov. 8 when the team hosts the Los Angeles Rams.

As part of the announcement, the Commanders posted a video celebrating Riggins' career, which saw him spend nine of his 14 NFL seasons in Washington from 1976 to 1985:

Riggins was previously inducted into the Commanders' Ring of Fame in 1990 and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

After arriving in Washington as a free agent in 1976 on the heels of five seasons with the New York Jets, Riggins established himself as the best running back in Commanders history.

Over his nine seasons in Washington, Riggins rushed for 7,472 yards and 79 touchdowns, both of which are Commanders career records.

Riggins reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark four times with the Commanders, including in 1983 when he rushed for a career-high 1,347 yards and 24 touchdowns.

He earned the only First Team All-Pro selection of his career that season and finished fourth in both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year voting.

The big and bruising Riggins is perhaps best known for his dominance during Washington's 1982 playoff run.

In four games, Riggins rushed for 610 yards and four touchdowns. That included 166 yards, one touchdown and MVP honors in the Commanders' 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.

Riggins also led the Commanders back to the Super Bowl the following season, rushing for 306 yards and six touchdowns in three playoff games, but they fell 38-9 to the Los Angeles Raiders in the big game.

All told, Riggins was one of the best postseason performers in NFL history, averaging over 100 rushing yards per game with 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine career playoff contests.

Now, the 76-year-old Riggins will be celebrated during the 2026 NFL season, becoming the seventh Commanders player to have his jersey number retired.