Commanders to retire Sonny Jurgensen’s No. 9 jersey

The Washington Commanders will retire former quarterback Sonny Jurgensen’s No. 9 jersey this coming season, the team announced.

The ceremony will take place in the team’s regular-season finale when Washington hosts the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. The exact date and time of the game have yet to be determined as the matchup is subject to flex scheduling, but will take place either Jan. 7 or 8.

Jurgensen, the legendary passer who played for the Burgundy and Gold for 11 seasons and later served as the team’s radio analyst for decades, becomes the fourth player in franchise history to have his number retired.

The news came on the same day the Hall of Famer turned 88. Jurgensen will join Sammy Baugh (No. 33), Bobby Mitchell (No. 49) and Sean Taylor (No. 21) to have their jersey number retired by Washington.

“I am very humbled by this recognition, it is an honor of a lifetime to have my jersey retired with a franchise I spent 55 years,” Jurgensen said in a statement. “Thank you to Dan and Tanya [Snyder] for this honor and for supporting me and my family during our time in Washington. From hanging up my cleats to hanging up my clipboard and headset a few decades later, my time spent in Washington meant the world to me.”

Jurgensen is regarded as one of the Burgundy and Gold’s greatest quarterbacks of all time, and arguably the best passer of his era. He joined the franchise in 1964 after the team acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles. Jurgensen went on to make four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams in 11 seasons.

At a time when passing was considered to be extremely difficult in the NFL, Jurgensen racked up yards and touchdowns. He ranks second in franchise history in career passing yards (22,585), completions (1,831) and touchdowns (179). Jurgensen played for a total of 18 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.

After retiring, Jurgensen began a second career in broadcasting, joining CBS in 1975 and later working as a color commentator for the team. He notably helped call each of Washington’s three Super Bowl-winning seasons alongside Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff and play-by-play man Frank Herzog on the radio.

Jurgensen retired from broadcasting just prior to the 2019 season.

“I’ll always be a fan of professional football and appreciative of all it has done for me, my family and our city,” Jurgensen said in his send-off. “I leave you with these words: Hail to the Redskins.”

Jurgensen, of course, played under the team’s former moniker, which was retired in the summer of 2020. The franchise rebranded to the Commanders in February after two seasons as the temporary Washington Football Team.

Of the three jersey numbers that Washington has retired already, two of them have come within the past few years. The franchise retired Mitchell’s number in 2020 and Taylor’s number last fall, the latter of which was the source of controversy as the team had announced the plans on just days’ notice. Commanders team president Jason Wright apologized for the short notice and the team plans to honor the late safety in Week 12 on the 15th anniversary of his death.

The Commanders also have a handful of other numbers unofficially retired. No player, for example, has worn No. 28 since Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green retired after the 2002 season. Other off-limit numbers include No. 81 (Art Monk) and No. 44 (John Riggins).

Earlier this month, Wright told reporters that there are plans to retire other jerseys.

In January, the Commanders will honor Jurgensen in a pregame ceremony that will take place on the main concourse of FedEx Field an hour prior to kickoff with the former quarterback’s family and teammates. The ceremony will be open to fans. There will also be another celebration that will take place on the field leading up to kickoff.

Washington co-CEO Tanya Snyder said in a statement Tuesday that Jurgensen represents “true excellence and professionalism” and will forever be a part of the team.

“No member of the Washington franchise will ever wear number 9 again, which is truly a nod to Sonny’s incredible accomplishments on and off the field,” she said. “We look forward to honoring his legacy with his friends and family later this season.”