Thirty years after the Washington Redskins finished off the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, the men who ran off three straight wins for the team midseason — the “replacement players” — will get their Super Bowl rings, the team announced Wednesday.
“The 3-0 record of the Redskins replacement players was part of the remarkable success of the 1987 Washington Redskins,” owner Dan Snyder said. “Their contributions are part of Redskins history and represent an integral reason why a Lombardi Trophy from the 1987 campaign resides in our facility today. Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners on this project, we are happy to honor these players for their role in that World Championship.”
After the regular NFL players went on strike after two games, teams had to scramble for replacement players. Washington, sitting at 1-1, was one of the most successful franchises at building a temporary roster. After the third week of the regular season was canceled, the replacement Redskins beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-21 and then the New York Giants 38-12 the next week. But no win was more impressive than a 13-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night. The host Cowboys had several players who had played through the strike — including Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett and Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White — but couldn’t beat the replacement players.
The regulars returned after that — though several replacement players ended up making the roster — and would go on to win the Super Bowl. But the replacement players remained ringless, as detailed in the 30 for 30 documentary “Year of the Scab.”
The Redskins did not announce a date for when the players would receive their rings.
