The updated list of the longest-tenured active D.C. pro athletes — published earlier this month and dominated by Washington Capitals — prompted a few readers to wonder what an all-time list might look like. Well, wonder no more.
Here, then, are the 25 players with at least 14 seasons in Washington during their careers, plus a few names that just missed the cut:
21 seasons
Walter Johnson, Senators pitcher, 1907-27
The Senators signed Johnson in June 1907 after discovering him playing semipro baseball in Idaho. He made his major league debut that August and posted a 1.88 ERA in 14 games as a rookie. Johnson went on to lead the American League in strikeouts 12 times and become the first member of the 3,000-strikeout club. In 1924, he won his second MVP award and helped Washington to the World Series title. The Hall of Famer’s 417 wins and 110 shutouts are the most in the modern era, and he stands alone as the longest-tenured athlete in D.C. sports.
20 seasons
Darrell Green, Redskins cornerback, 1983-2002
Green, Washington’s first-round pick in the 1983 draft out of what was then known as Texas A&I, started every game and helped the Redskins to a Super Bowl appearance as a rookie. He would go on to win two Super Bowls with Washington and retired with 54 career interceptions, including at least one in each of his 20 seasons. Jackie Slater, Lou Groza and Jason Hanson are the only other NFL players to play at least 20 seasons and spend their entire careers with one team.
19 seasons
Sam Rice, Senators outfielder, 1915-33
Rice began his career as a pitcher before converting to outfielder in his second major league season and developing into one of the finest hitters in the American League. He hit .350 in 1925 and .323 over 19 seasons in Washington before playing the final year of his career in Cleveland, where he was managed by Johnson, his longtime Senators teammate. Rice retired 13 hits shy of 3,000.
18 seasons
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals left winger, 2005-present
The No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL draft and 2018 Stanley Cup champion signed a five-year contract in 2021 that could keep him in Washington until the end of his career. After eclipsing 800 goals and then passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list last season, Ovechkin is 72 shy of matching Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Ossie Bluege, Senators infielder, 1922-39
Bluege, who predominantly played third base, formed one of the better infield duos in baseball with Senators shortstop Joe Cronin. A .272 career hitter, he joined Washington Manager Bucky Harris’s staff in 1941 and 1942 before managing the Senators from 1943 to 1947. As Washington’s first farm director, Bluege discovered slugger Harmon Killebrew, who hit 559 of his 573 career home runs over the next 21 seasons with the franchise and would have matched Johnson’s record for the most seasons in D.C. if the Senators hadn’t relocated to Minnesota in 1961.
Joe Judge, Senators first baseman, 1915-32
A superb defensive first baseman, Judge hit .299 during his time with Washington, including .324 the year the Senators won the World Series, before ending his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.
16 seasons
Sammy Baugh, Redskins quarterback, 1937-52
Baugh was the team’s first-round draft pick in 1937, the same year the franchise relocated from Boston. Slingin’ Sammy began his career as a triple-threat quarterback in the single-wing formation before Washington fully embraced the forward pass and switched to the T-formation in 1944. Baugh led the NFL in passing six times and punting four times and finished with 31 career interceptions.
Nicklas Backstrom, Capitals center, 2007-present
Backstrom, the No. 4 pick in the 2006 NHL draft, arrived in D.C. two years after Ovechkin’s rookie season. Washington’s all-time leader in assists and second-leading point-getter was limited to 86 games over the past two seasons because of hip surgery, but he is signed through the 2024-25 season.
Monte Coleman, Redskins linebacker, 1979-94
An 11th-round draft pick out of Central Arkansas, Coleman led Washington in tackles during his second season and was a dependable presence on three Super Bowl-winning teams. He appeared in 215 games with Washington, the second most in franchise history behind Green.
Olie Kolzig, Capitals goalie, 1989-2008
Kolzig appeared in 10 games with the Capitals over his first three seasons after being selected in the first round of the 1989 NHL draft and didn’t emerge as the team’s No. 1 goalie until the 1997-98 season, when he led Washington to its first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals. “Olie the Goalie” won the Vezina Trophy two years later. Kolzig retired in 2009 after spending one season as a backup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and now is the Capitals’ professional development coach.
Clyde Milan, Senators outfielder, 1907-22
Nicknamed “Deerfoot,” the speedy Milan broke into the big leagues as a 20-year-old with the Senators in 1907. He was one of the best base stealers of his time, leading the majors with a then-record 88 steals in 1912, when he finished fourth in MVP voting. Milan managed the Senators in 1922 and was a coach for the team from 1938 to 1952. He died at 65 after collapsing during a spring training workout in Orlando in 1953.
Buddy Myer, Senators infielder, 1925-27, 1929-41
Myer was traded to the Boston Red Sox early in the 1927 season and then traded back to Washington in 1929. He played the final 13 years of his career for the Senators, leading the AL in batting in 1935 and receiving two all-star nods.
Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals infielder, 2005-21
Zimmerman, the Nationals’ first draft pick after the Expos relocated from Montreal in 2005, retired in 2021 as the team’s all-time leader in games played (1,799), runs (963), hits (1,846), total bases (3,159), home runs (284) and RBI (1,061). Mr. Walk-Off hit 11 such home runs for Washington and was a defensive wizard at third base for the first 10 years of his career before a shoulder injury forced a move to first base. Zimmerman opted out of the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
15 seasons
Calle Johansson, Capitals defenseman, 1989-2003
Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1985, Johansson was traded to Washington in 1989 and became a steady contributor for the next 15 years. Johansson’s 983 games with the Capitals are the third most in franchise history.
14 seasons
Peter Bondra, Capitals right winger, 1990-2004
An eighth-round pick of the Capitals in 1990, Bondra scored 472 goals over his 14 seasons in Washington, which ranks second in franchise history. The six-time all-star was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2004 for prospect Brooks Laich and a second-round pick in the 2005 draft.
Jeff Bostic, Redskins center, 1980-93
Undrafted out of Clemson in 1980, Bostic won three Super Bowls with Washington as a member of the famed “Hogs” offensive line and started 149 games over his 14 years in D.C.
Dave Butz, Redskins defensive tackle, 1975-88
Butz was the No. 5 pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, but he signed with Washington as a free agent in 1975 after a knee injury limited him to one game in his second season. Butz had 11.5 sacks and was named an all-pro in 1983.
John Carlson, Capitals defenseman, 2009-present
Washington’s first-round draft pick in 2008 missed three months last season after taking a slap shot to the right side of his head in December. His absence was one of the main reasons the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Chris Hanburger, Redskins linebacker, 1965-78
Hanburger, whose name was the reason actor Matthew McConaughey became a Redskins fan, played all 187 games of his career with Washington. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection finished with 19 interceptions, the most by a linebacker in franchise history.
Len Hauss, Redskins center, 1964-77
A ninth-round pick out of Georgia, Hauss spent his entire career with Washington. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection who started 192 consecutive games at center despite struggling with knee injuries during training camp as a rookie.
Art Monk, Redskins wide receiver, 1980-93
Monk played the first 14 seasons of his 16-year NFL career with Washington and remains the franchise leader in receptions (888) and receiving yards (12,026). The first-round pick out of Syracuse had 65 touchdown receptions and won three Super Bowls with Washington.
Jaime Moreno, D.C. United forward, 1996-2002 and 2004-10
Moreno helped United win four MLS Cups during his two stints with the team and retired with 133 goals, the fifth most in league history. The Bolivian’s 329 appearances are the most in franchise history.
Mickey Vernon, Senators first baseman, 1939-48, 1950-55
The first of Vernon’s two stints with Washington was interrupted by two years of military service during World War II. He won the AL batting title with a .353 average in 1946 and with a .337 mark in 1953. Vernon, who spent the 1949 season and the first two months of the 1950 season with Cleveland, was a five-time all-star with Washington and managed the Senators from 1961 to 1963.
Don Warren, Redskins tight end, 1979-92
Warren won three Super Bowls and was a fan favorite during his 14-year career in Washington.
Eddie Yost, Senators third baseman, 1944-58
Yost, who debuted with the Senators as a 17-year-old, spent the first 14 years of his career with Washington and led the American League in walks four times during that span. He missed the 1945 season while serving in the Navy.
Honorable mention:
Joe Gibbs: This list is for players, but Gibbs deserves a mention for the 16 years he spent as coach of the Redskins. Gibbs won three Super Bowls during his first stint with the team from 1981 to 1992 before coming out of retirement and leading Washington to a couple of playoff appearances from 2004 to 2007.
Bucky Harris: The second baseman played 10 seasons with the Senators from 1919 to 1928 and led Washington to the 1924 World Series title as player-manager. Harris also managed the Senators from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1950 to 1954, giving him 23 total seasons with the franchise.
Ben Olsen: The midfielder scored 29 goals in 221 appearances during his 11-season playing career with D.C. United from 1998 to 2009. He was named United’s coach after serving as an assistant on Curt Onalfo’s staff in 2010 and maintained that position until he was dismissed in October 2020.
Stephen Strasburg: The Nationals right-hander and 2019 World Series MVP hasn’t appeared in a game since June 2022, when he attempted to return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. As he continues to deal with severe nerve damage, there’s increasing doubt that Strasburg will pitch again. For now, he’s stuck on 13 seasons.
Charley Taylor: The No. 3 pick in the 1964 NFL draft retired as the NFL’s all-time leading pass catcher after the 1977 season. A knee injury cost Taylor the 1976 season, leaving him with only 13 years played. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection won three Super Bowls as Washington’s wide receivers coach from 1981 to 1993.
Cecil Travis: The infielder played his entire 12-season career with the Senators from 1933 to 1947 and was a three-time all-star. Travis missed the 1942, 1943 and 1944 seasons while serving in the Army during World War II.
Wes Unseld: Unseld spent a franchise record 13 seasons with the Bullets, but the team was located in Baltimore for the first five of those years. Unseld later coached Washington from 1988 to 1994 and served as the GM for seven years. He and the recently traded Bradley Beal (11 seasons with the Wizards) are the only players in franchise history with at least 10 seasons of service time.