Washington Commanders Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

(last updated on January 23, 2026)

Besides their 2024 run to the NFC Championship Game with a phenomenal rookie QB who is poised to be on this list soon, the Washington Commanders franchise hasn’t had much success the last 30 years or so. It is easy to forget their hallowed past and legendary players. This team by the Potomac River has made five Super Bowl appearances and is only one of 10 teams with at least three Super Bowl titles. It hasn’t helped that they play in the NFC East, historically one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The NFC East is the only division in football where every franchise has won at least one Lombardi Trophy (Dallas → 5, New York → 4, Washington → 3, & Philadelphia → 2). Washington has even had three head coaches enshrined in the Hall of Fame. But if we look under center, who were the best quarterbacks in DC? It is time to see the cherry blossoms in our nation’s capital and stroll by the top quarterbacks in Washington Commanders/Redskins history.

Considering that Kirk Cousins was the second QB selected by Washington in the 2012 NFL Draft after Robert Griffin III, you could say it was a solid fourth-round selection. You could also say Kirk Cousins was one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Washington Commanders/Redskins. After playing the understudy for his first three years in DC, Cousins then reeled off three of the best passing seasons ever for a Washington signal-caller. From 2015-2017, this Michigan State Spartan put up three years of 4,000+ yards in the air, three years of 25+ passing TDs, and he averaged a passer rating of 97.6. He led the NFL in completion % (69.8) in 2015, and then he lit up the capital with 4,917 passing yards the following season. Although his record as the Washington starter was only 26-30-1, he did lead them to an NFC East Divisional crown in 2015. In somewhat limited time, his all-time franchise passing marks are quite impressive: first in passer rating (93.7), fourth in passing yards (16,206), and sixth in passing TDs (99). He even created a GIF with that memorable zinger after a big win, “You like that!” Kirk Cousins has moved on to other teams, but his numbers in DC make him one of the best quarterbacks the Washington Commanders/Redskins have ever had.

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Mark Rypien won’t be the sexiest name on this list, but he helped engineer one of the most magical seasons in Washington history, so that gets him a place with the top quarterbacks of the Washington Commanders/Redskins. He was a sixth-round pick that ended up as Super Bowl MVP. Rypien became Washington’s main man in the 1988 season and went on to a compile 45-27 record. That includes three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title. Let’s focus on that magical 1991 season that got Mark on this list. The Redskins went 14-2, and Rypien finished fourth in MVP voting with monster numbers: 28 TDs, only 11 picks, 3,564 yards, and a 97.9 passer rating. During that postseason, the Skins won three games by a total score of 102-41. In the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, #11 had a 70.59 completion % and a 152.2 passer rating. Then in Super Bowl XXVI against Buffalo, Rypien was the MVP with 292 passing yards, 2 TDs, and a 92 passer rating as the franchise won its third Lombardi Trophy. In only six seasons, this guy ranks in Washington’s top five for most major passing categories. Mark Rypien was a bolt of lightning during that 1991 season, and he earned his spot with the best Washington Commanders/Redskins quarterbacks of all time.

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Slingin’ Sammy Baugh has the name of a villain in an old western, and he rightfully earned that nickname on his way to becoming one of the best quarterbacks ever for the Washington Commanders/Redskins. Not only did Baugh win two NFL titles in Washington (1937 and 1942), but he also helped modernize the game with his development of the forward pass. When Sammy entered the league, football was built on low-scoring, run-heavy offenses. Slingin’ Sammy helped evolve football with 21,866 passing yards in his career. He led the league in completion % eight times, passing yards four times, and passing TDs two times. In the 1937 NFL Championship Game … as a rookie … at Chicago … he led Washington to a title with 335 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 107.5 passer rating. Those numbers were unheard of in 1937. Another memorable performance for this Hall of Famer was in 1947 when he threw for 355 yards, 6 touchdowns, and had a 124.4 passer rating in a win over the Chicago Cardinals. It is also worth mentioning that this versatile offensive star had 31 career interceptions and once led the NFL in punting. This legend is still the franchise’s all-time leader in passing TDs (187) and is third in passing yards (21,886). Sammy Baugh was a revolutionary trendsetter for the game of football, so that definitely gets him a seat at the table with the top Washington Commanders/Redskins quarterbacks in history.

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In a twist of fate, one of the best quarterbacks in Washington Commanders/Redskins history started his career with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Sonny Jurgensen moved to DC in 1964 and made himself a Hall of Famer. He is still second in passing yards (22,585) and passing TDs (179) for the Washington franchise. Five times #9 led the NFL in passing yards (three with the Skins and two with the Birds), and he twice led the league in passing TDs (one with each team). In 1967, Sonny threw for an NFL-leading 3,747 passing yards, 31 touchdowns (still a franchise mark), and an average of 267.6 yards per game. Although Washington didn’t have great team success while Jurgensen was the starter, in his last four years as a backup to Billy Kilmer, he went 11-2 in his starts, and that includes leading the conference in passer rating (94.5) at age 40 in his final season. It is worth noting that when Jurgensen retired after the 1974 season, he was second all time in NFL history in both passing yards (32,224) and passing touchdowns (255). Sonny Jurgensen is an NFL legend who has a bust in Canton, so that secures his place as one of the top quarterbacks ever for the Washington Commanders/Redskins.

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Sadly, some fans may best remember Joe Theisman for his gruesome injury on Monday Night Football at the hands of Lawrence Taylor. But fans should know that this guy was a heck of a quarterback and maybe the best in the history of the Washington Commanders/Redskins. Theisman is the all-time Washington leader in passing yards (25,206), game-winning drives (22), and wins by a starting QB (77-47). Most importantly, he led the Redskins to their first Super Bowl title. In fact, he led them to consecutive Super Bowl appearances (XVII and XVIII). In the strike-shortened 1982 season, this New Jersey boy led the Skins to an 8-1 record with 2,033 passing yards, 13 TDs, and a 63.9 completion %. That postseason Joe led the Hogs to four wins in four straight weeks for the Lombardi Trophy with stellar stats: 8 passing TDs, only 3 picks, a 68.2 completion %, and a 110.7 passer rating. The following year he was the NFL MVP and led DC to a 14-2 record with 3,714 passing yards, 29 TD strikes, and a 97 passer rating. Unfortunately, that team lost to the Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII. Theisman was also an effective scrambler and ended up with 1,815 rushing yards and 17 rushing scores in his career. Joe Theisman may not have a spot in Canton, but he has an NFL MVP award and a Super Bowl championship, so that makes him one of the top quarterbacks in Washington Commanders/Redskins history.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 14th, 2024 at 10:51 am and is filed under Top Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.