Feb. 7, 2026, 6:20 a.m. ET

Friday was a sad day for the Washington Commanders, the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Longtime former Washington quarterback Sonny Jurgensen passed away at 91. The Commanders honored Jurgensen, who has his No. 9 jersey retired by the franchise.

Former Washington players, media members, fans and others across the country honored Jurgensen on social media.

Jurgensen played 18 NFL seasons, breaking numerous records for both the Eagles and Redskins before he retired after the 1974 season. Jurgensen would then enter broadcasting, eventually becoming one of the voices of the Redskins, endearing himself to the next generation of fans.

Speaking of records, Jurgensen’s name is throughout Washington’s record books. He still stands above all passers in one single-season statistic, a record that has stood since 1967. In that season, Jurgensen threw 31 touchdown passes. It was the first — and only — time in Washington’s franchise history, over 90 years, that a quarterback has thrown for 30 or more touchdown passes.

This record not only speaks to Jurgensen’s greatness but also to Washington’s ineptitude in finding a long-term solution over the years. Jurgensen even accomplished this during an era when teams didn’t throw the ball as often as they have over the past 20 years.

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Kirk Cousins has come the closest to matching Jurgensen’s single-season record, passing for 29 touchdowns in 2015, which tied Joe Theismann, who passed for 29 touchdowns in 1983. Cousins also had seasons of 27 and 25 touchdown passes, while Jurgensen had years of 28, 24, 23, and 22 touchdown passes.

The Commanders hope Jayden Daniels is the one to finally break the record. Not because they want to see Jurgensen’s record broken, but because they hope he’s the guy to finally solve the most important position and return the team to glory. As a rookie in 2024, Daniels passed for 25 touchdowns and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. Injuries limited Daniels to only seven games played in 2025.