Tag: London Fletcher

Commanders honor London Fletcher after tragic loss of his wife

Commanders honor London Fletcher after Sunday’s win.

London Fletcher should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’ve made his case countless times and will continue to do so. These days, the former 16-year NFL veteran is part of the Washington Commanders’ radio broadcast team alongside Bram Weinstein and Logan Paulsen.

Sadly, Fletcher recently suffered a tremendous personal loss. His wife, Charne, died of cancer at only 50 years old. The Fletchers were married for 18 years and had three children together.

Fletcher was away from the Commanders for the last couple of games but returned to the broadcast booth during Sunday’s 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns.

After the game, Washington head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters honored the team legend and his children with the game ball.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAzS367s4Th/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Commanders are riding high on the field with a 4-1 record, but they are doing everything else right, too. Fletcher is not only a team legend, but he’s also a current employee. It’s good to see the Commanders honoring him during such a difficult time.

10 Bills greats nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025

10 Bills greats nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025

The nominations for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 were announced on social media Wednesday by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Of the 167 players nominated for the HOF, 10 Buffalo Bills players made the list: Larry Centers, Marshawn Lynch, Ruben Brown, Pat Williams, Cornelius Bennett, London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes, Troy Vincent, Gary Anderson, and Brian Moorman.

Some of the names most notably played for other franchises, but all made an impact for the Bills in some way. And, most of them have been nominated for many years without ever reaching football immortality.

Seeing a lot of them get into the HOF would be great, but a few names stand out as some that are more deserving.

Lynch, although he will most likely enter the HOF as a Seattle Seahawks running back, has a real shot to be a first-ballot selection.

Fletcher was selected as a semifinalist for the HOF in 2024, meaning he made it to the top-25 of finalists. The linebacker has not gotten the nod yet. His numbers in his career can be stacked up with just about anyone.

Moorman should get more love from the HOF committee. The punter was one of the best special teams players in the 2000s decade, making the All-Decade team while being a weapon for the Bills at punter. He was also a 1st Team All-Pro.

A couple of fun ones would be Cornelius Bennett and Larry Centers. Bennett was an integral part of the Bills’ defense in the early 90s which went to four consecutive Super Bowls. Centers, although he only played two years in Buffalo, would shine some light on the forgotten fullback position in the NFL. Centers led the Bills in receptions in 2001 with 80.

Here is the full list of the 167 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

[lawrence-related id=140385,140371,140362]

20 former NFL players with Washington ties among nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Brian Mitchell and London Fletcher lead the list of Washington nominees for 2025 HOF class.

Is this finally the year a Washington legend makes it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

On Wednesday, the NFL released the list of 167 modern-era nominees for induction into the Hall of Fame class of 2025, and several former Washington legends made the cut.

Here’s the full list.

  • QB Rich Gannon
  • QB Donovan McNabb
  • RB Shaun Alexander
  • RB Stephen Davis
  • RB Clinton Portis
  • RB Terry Allen
  • RB/PR/KR Eric Metcalf
  • FB Larry Centers
  • WR Irving Fryar
  • TE Vernon Davis
  • OL Mark Schlereth
  • OL Dave Szott
  • LB Jessie Armstead
  • LB London Fletcher
  • LB Ken Norton Jr.
  • CB DeAngelo Hall
  • CB Troy Vincent
  • K David Akers
  • P Matt Turk
  • ST/RB/KR/PR: Brian Mitchell

All but Norton played in Washington at some point. Norton is now the linebackers coach for head coach Dan Quinn. Fletcher, Mitchell, Hall, Stephen Davis, Allen and Portis are best known for their outstanding careers in Washington.

If you’re wondering where Joe Jacoby or Larry Brown are, they remain senior candidates for the class. Six prominent former Washington players, including Doug Williams, Earnest Byner, Wilber Marshall, Joe Theismann, Jacoby, and Brown, are senior candidates. Jacoby appears to have the best chance of being inducted.

Of the modern-era nominees, Fletcher and Mitchell appear to have the best chances of being inducted. Regardless of who you talk to, Fletcher, Mitchell and Jacoby belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

NFL.com outlines the selection process for the modern-era nominees:

Twenty Finalists will be presented to the full 50-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting to choose the Class of 2025. Those candidates will consist of 15 Modern-Era Players Finalists, three Seniors Finalists, a Coach Finalist and a Contributor Finalist.

The Selection Committee will meet next year (on a date still to be determined) in advance of Super Bowl LVIX. While there is no set number for any class of Enshrinees, the selection process bylaws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.

Finalists must receive at least 80% support from the Selection Committee to join the Class of 2025. The Modern-Era Player Finalists will be trimmed during the annual selection meeting from 15 to 10, then to seven. Committee members then will vote for five of the seven Finalists.

The 2025 class will be announced in February.

Torry Holt and Steven Jackson among nominees for 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Torry Holt and Steven Jackson will try to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as members of the 2025 class next year

Torry Holt has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2014, five years after he retired from the NFL. Yet, he’s still waiting to hear his name called in Canton.

The Rams legend hopes this will be the year he gets into the Hall of Fame after being a finalist in each of the last five years. On Wednesday, the initial list of nominees for the Class of 2025 was released and Holt is one of a few former Rams eligible for the Hall of Fame.

In addition to Holt, Steven Jackson, Marc Bulger and London Fletcher are all on the nominee list for the next class. Former Rams cornerback Aqib Talib is a first-time nominee, as well.

From this group of 167 nominees, the selection committee will narrow it down to 25 semifinalists this fall and then eventually 15 finalists. The full 2025 class will be revealed at the NFL Honors show in February.

Holt has come the closest to being voted in of all the former Rams listed above. He’s been a finalist in each of the last five years and will likely make it to that stage again this time, given his impressive resume.

London Fletcher: Bobby Wagner brings Commanders instant credibility

London Fletcher is excited about what Bobby Wagner will bring to the Commanders.

Bobby Wagner is 34 years of age, so how much can he bring to the Commanders?

Just days ago (June 27), Wagner had his 34th birthday. The vast majority of NFL players never make it to age 34. But of course, Wagner has proven to not be the vast majority of NFL players.

“Instant credibility.” That’s what London Fletcher said Wagner brings to the Washington defense. Fletcher was with Michael Jenkins and Fred Smoot discussing the Commanders linebacker position room.

“He still brings playmaking ability even at 34 years old. It reminds me of myself when I made the transition to DC,” added Fletcher.

“You bring him in first and foremost for his leadership. He’s a great leader. He’s been on great defenses. He knows how to run the system Dan Quinn wants.”

“It’s one thing to be a leader; it’s quite another to also be able to make plays, and he’s still a high-level playmaker.”

Jenkins and former Smoot chimed in and gave some very exalted praise for Wagner.

As usual, it’s July, and the free agents your team signed in the offseason will be able to jumpstart your defense and make it one of the better defenses in the NFL.

In this case, will Wagner be able to defy aging, set the tone for your defense, and lead the team?

Yes, it’s odd that the last four seasons, Washington’s head coach and defensive coordinator were both NFL linebackers. Yet the linebacker position group was the team’s weakest.

Yes, it’s fair to believe Wagner and Frankie Luvu will improve the play of the position group and also of the defense overall.

But once again, we see too often fans becoming giddy, only seeing the best-case scenarios and discounting the fact that aging NFL players often break down due to injury.

Is a more realistic expectation to see some defensive improvement, but how much may depend on how many games, your new acquisitions are injury free?

 

Commanders have two of the NFL’s top-ranked linebackers

Commanders have one of the NFL’s best linebacker duos.

When was the last time the Washington Commanders had a linebacker considered one of the best 32 in the NFL?

You’d probably have to look back at London Fletcher’s final seasons; he retired after the 2013 season.

Yes, Ryan Kerrigan played outside linebacker in Washington’s 3-4 defense over the years, but he was a pass rusher, not a traditional linebacker. Ron Rivera was Washington’s coach over the past four seasons, while Jack Del Rio was the defensive coordinator. With those two in charge, you’d think the Commanders would have had excellent linebackers, considering they were both very good NFL linebackers.

Rivera and Del Rio struggled to field good linebackers and largely ignored the position, except for drafting Jamin Davis in 2021.

New head coach Dan Quinn understands the importance of good linebacker play, and so does GM Adam Peters. In the early stages of NFL free agency in March, Washington signed Frankie Luvu (Panthers) and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner (Seahawks).

Suddenly, Washington’s linebacking unit was formidable.

Pro Football Focus thinks so, too.

PFF continued its series by ranking the 32 best players at each position, most recently covering linebacker. Wagner (No. 20) and Luvu (No. 21) were included in the top 32.

Here’s what PFF said about Wagner:

Wagner is about to turn 34 and has just one season with a PFF coverage grade above 70.0 since 2018, but he remains one of the best run defenders in football. He has earned 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in three of the past four seasons — and six of the past eight.

And Luvu:

While he is somewhat limited in coverage, with his 67.7 PFF coverage grade in 2023 the high mark of his career, Luvu has become one of the better run defenders over the past three seasons and is an effective blitzer. He racked up 20 or more pressures in each of the past two seasons.

Peters and Quinn have completely transformed the linebacker position. Wagner and Luvu are two of Washington’s most important players. Luvu’s versatility will allow the Commanders to also use him as a pass rusher. Wagner’s impact has already been felt for his leadership skills.

Washington’s new linebackers — along with Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. — will have the Commanders playing much better defense in 2024.

Bobby Wagner reveals former Washington linebacker London Fletcher was a mentor

Wagner reveals the impact London Fletcher had on his career.

When Bobby Wagner was introduced to the media last week after signing a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders, he made it clear why this was the spot for him.

“I think DQ (Dan Quinn) does an amazing job of just putting all the players in the right positions and, you know, getting the best out of everybody,” he said. “Nort’s (LB coach Ken Norton Jr.) one of my favorite coaches of all time, so that was enough for me.”

Quinn coached Wagner early in his career with Seattle for two seasons and had tried to sign Wagner in each of the last two offseasons when he was the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

Norton was Wagner’s linebacker coach for his first three NFL seasons and his defensive coordinator for four seasons. But another person important to Wagner led him to Washington: London Fletcher.

Fletcher enjoyed a 16-year NFL career that ended after the 2013 season. His final seven seasons came in Washington. Wagner’s first two NFL seasons were Fletcher’s final two in the league.

“I’ve been a huge fan of London Fletcher and actually somebody I was able to meet last year in person,” Wagner said. “And he’s been a huge help in my career. I reached out to him one time, and he offered some advice. So, just understanding there has been great linebacker here and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Fletcher is now a member of Washington’s broadcast team, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the pair to catch up this season.

Fletcher has been on the Hall of Fame ballot in recent years but continues to fall short.

Former Washington LB London Fletcher named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class

Is this the year for London Fletcher?

Is 2024 the year for London Fletcher?

On Tuesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 25 modern-era semifinalists for the class of 2024, and the former Washington linebacker made the cut. It’s Fletcher’s third consecutive year as a semifinalist.

Fletcher signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent from John Carroll University in 1998. Fletcher spent four seasons with the Rams before signing with Buffalo, where he spent the next five years of his career. Fletcher signed with Washington as a free agent in 2007 and played his seven seasons in the burgundy and gold.

In 16 NFL seasons, Fletcher played in 256 games and recorded 2,039 tackles, 39 sacks, 109 tackles for loss, 19 forced fumbles, 23 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries and three touchdowns. He appeared in four Pro Bowls [all with Washington], was a two-time second-team All-Pro, is in Washington’s Ring of Fame, and is also one of the franchise’s 90 greatest players. Fletcher is currently a radio analyst for the Washington Commanders.

Fletcher’s numbers rival Ray Lewis, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 — his first year of eligibility.

The Hall of Fame also has 12 senior semifinalists for the 2024 class, and former Washington offensive tackle Joe Jacoby was among those names. We’ve made the case for Jacoby numerous times as he remains one of the biggest Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs.

Torry Holt, London Fletcher named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class

Torry Holt and London Fletcher were both named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024

Torry Holt is knocking on the door of Canton once again in 2024. Hopefully this is the year he hears a knock on his door welcoming him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Tuesday, 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 were announced, with Holt and London Fletcher being among them. They’re the only two players with Rams ties who are semifinalists, which means Steven Jackson was snubbed for the fourth year in a row.

Holt is a semifinalist for the 10th time, and he’s also been a finalist in four consecutive years. It would be a surprise if that streak ends this year, but it’s a loaded class that includes Dwight Freeney, Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers and Tiki Barber.

Of all this year’s semifinalists, no player has made it to this stage more than Holt. Hines Ward and Darren Woodson are the next closest, with eight years as a semifinalist. This is Fletcher’s second time as a semifinalist, also making it to this point last year.

Holt was a member of the Rams for 10 seasons, catching 869 passes for 12,660 yards with 74 touchdowns. His 869 catches rank second in team history, as do his 12,660 receiving yards, both behind only Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce.

Holt was voted a Pro Bowler seven times and led the NFL in receiving twice (2000 and 2003), earning All-Pro honors once as a first-team selection.

Fletcher began his career with the Rams and spent four years in St. Louis, making 48 starts from 1998-2001. He had at least 100 tackles in two of those seasons and picked off six passes, all in 2000-2001. He would go on to play for Buffalo and Washington, making the Pro Bowl four times from 2009-2012 as a member of the Redskins. He led the NFL with 166 tackles in 2011 and picked off a career-high five passes in 2012.

Fletcher ranks second in NFL history with 2,039 tackles, fewer than only Ray Lewis, who had 2,059 during his Hall of Fame career.

Commanders season opener in 59 days: Washington’s best No. 59

London Fletcher is the greatest to wear No. 59 in Washington franchise history.

Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 59 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 59?

Brad Dusek (1974-81) was drafted by the Patriots (3rd round in the 1973 draft. But just before the season began, Dusek was traded to the Redskins. Playing all 14 games of the season on special teams in 1973, Dusek became a starter in the 1974 season. For the next five seasons, Dusek played in and started each and every game for Washington. He appeared in every game during the 1980 season, starting 14 of the 16 regular season games. Dusek started nine of his ten 1981 games, ending his NFL career. The former Texas A&M Aggie recovered three fumbles for Washington that he returned for touchdowns. Sadly Dusek, in recent years, is battling ALS.

London Fletcher (2007-13) came to Washington after having played four seasons for the Rams (1998-2001) and five for the Bills (2002-2006). Fletcher was Mr. Dependable, as he played in all 16 games each season of his NFL career. In his seven Washington seasons, Fletcher started every single game of those regular seasons. Fletcher earned four consecutive Pro Bowl trips with Washington (2009-12) when he was ages 34, 35, 36 and 37. When Fletcher was age 36 in 2011, he led the NFL with 166 combined tackles.