The Washington Commanders didn’t rebrand again or resurrect their old, controversial logo this offseason. They did the next best thing, though. They finally dumped those atrocious uniforms they dragged around for the last four years, replacing them with the classic Super Bowl-era look they teased as alternates last season.
Now, those throwbacks are the permanent standard. It is a rare crowd-pleaser in a town that agrees on nothing. To sweeten the pot, the front office brought back the classic burgundy jerseys from that same golden era and introduced a sleek, black alternate set dubbed the “Hail Raisers.”
These new black uniforms actually look decent. Unlike the previous garbage-tier black alternates, these feature a redesigned helmet sporting the “W” logo pierced by a spear.
But this is Washington. Nobody stays happy for long.
When the team dropped its official 2026 uniform schedule on Thursday, the hype quickly soured into internet whining. The issue? The highly anticipated “Hail Raiser” alternates are barely getting any airtime.
Fans will only see the new black gear twice in 2026. First, during a Week 11 Monday night showdown against Cincinnati, and again in Week 15 when Atlanta comes to town. That is it.
Here is how the rest of the wardrobe shakes out for the upcoming campaign:
The classic Burgundy will dominate the schedule. Washington wears them in Week 2 at Dallas, Week 3 against Seattle, and Week 4 in London against the Colts. They will also sport them for Week 8 against Philly, Week 9 against the Rams, Week 10 at New York, Week 14 against Houston, Week 16 at Minnesota, and the Week 18 finale against Dallas.
The clean Whites get plenty of road run. Expect them in the Week 1 opener at Philadelphia, Week 5 against the Giants, Week 6 at San Francisco, Week 12 at Arizona, Week 13 at Tennessee, and Week 17 at Jacksonville.
Then, of course, those elusive Black Hail Raiser alternates. Week 11 against the Bengals and Week 15 against the Falcons.
Football is right around the corner. Rookies report for duty on July 24, vets show up on July 29, and the real action kicks off on September 13 in Philly. Let’s see if the play on the field looks as good as the clothes.
