20 saddest moments in Washington Commanders history

What are the saddest moments throughout the storied franchise history of the Washington Commanders spanning more than 90 years?

The franchise now known as the Washington Commanders has seen some glorious times in the past 90 years. Championships and Pro Football Hall-of-Famers galore. Legends, tradition, pride.

Well – this ain’t that.

There have also been moments that just… there’s no other way to say it… moments that are just plain sad. They may have been tragic, pathetic, or humiliating. Whether they happened on the field or off, whether they got you riled up or left you shaking your head in embarrassment, they all resulted in a bad taste. The kind that wouldn’t go away for a long time.

Here are 20 such moments from Commanders franchise history. Don’t worry – only about half of them involve the soon-to-be-former owner.

I should probably note that what’s sad for me might not be sad for you. Sadness is a personal thing. In my family, one of the saddest moments came in Super Bowl XXII, during the greatest quarter of football in the history of the NFL.

As Washington was in the process of dismantling the Denver Broncos, one of my relatives was accompanying another of my relatives to the facilities in Jack Murphy Stadium to deal with gastrointestinal problems resulting from too much coke and cotton candy. They missed the greatest quarter in football history but did hear the roars of the crowd.

I myself count Art Monk’s record-breaking catch against Denver on October 12, 1992 as a sad moment because I was in the parking lot, having left the game early at the behest of another unnamed relative. I too heard the roars of the crowd. I also learned to stop going to games against the Broncos with members of my family.

But enough about me. Let’s talk Commanders. And let’s get sad.