John Riggins initially wore No. 29 with Washington before No. 44
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 19, 2026, 1:04 PM
Last updated Jul 19, 2026
John Riggins will have his No. 44 jersey retired by the Commanders this season. When he joined the Washington Redskins in 1976, Riggins did not initially wear his iconic number; instead, he was assigned jersey No. 29. He changed to No. 44 after the release of Moses Denson, who had worn it previously. Riggins played with No. 44 until his retirement in 1985 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. The Commanders will officially retire Riggins' jersey during the 2026 regular season.
- •Riggins starts with No. 29 at Redskins training camp in 1976
- •Denson wore No. 44 before Riggins
- •Riggins changes to No. 44 after Denson's release
- •No player has worn No. 44 for the Commanders since 1985
- •The retirement ceremony for No. 44 will take place in 2026
- 1:04 PMYahoo Sports — What number did John Riggins wear when he first arrived in Washington?
"John Riggins will have his iconic No. 44 officially retired this season. Which led us to ask: Who was the last player, pre-Riggins, to wear No. 44?
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days- CFL•Jul 26, 2026, 5:34 PMUSC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans cornerback Tony Burnett
FootballCFL•Jul 24, 2026, 10:01 AMBrowns expect Andre Smyzt, Corey Bojorquez to stabilize special teams- CFL•Jul 23, 2026, 9:11 PMDiego Pavia landing spots include NFL, CFL, UFL – and maybe WWE
- CFL•Jul 19, 2026, 6:42 PMArizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: OLB Elliott Brown
- CFL•Jul 18, 2026, 5:22 AMZach Collaros' injury update continues to complicate Winnipeg Blue Bombers' quarterback room
- CFL•Jul 16, 2026, 12:35 AMCFL Week 7 Power Rankings: Montreal Alouettes hold top spot, Dru Brown shakes up Winnipeg Blue Bombers
