LANDOVER, Md., August 28, 2023 – Today the Washington Commanders announced 2023 season game themes and activations. The Commanders game themes lineup will be headlined by five marquee games: *Alumni Homecoming, Crucial Catch, Salute to Service, Fan Appreciation, and Inspire Change, and will activate additional league-wide initiatives throughout the season including Hispanic Heritage Month; NFL Fan of the Year; My Cause, My Cleats; Walter Payton Man of the Year; and NFL Coach of the Week.
Starting with the regular season home opener, the Commanders will kick off each home game with a new interactive pregame ritual, beginning 20 minutes before kickoff. Melding together live performances from the Commanders entertainment teams with epic hype videos, the ritual will incorporate long-standing Washington traditions, points of regional pride and elements of the team's exciting new era, including the Commanders Oath.
Below is an overview of each game theme and key activations. Stay tuned for additional gameday details that will be announced in a press release the week of each home game.
9.10: Week One vs Arizona Cardinals, presented by Bank of America
1:00 PM Kickoff, FOX
- Theme: Welcome Home (Kickoff)
- Ingress Giveaway: Commanders and Bank of America co-branded Rollabanna
- Egress Giveaway: 2023 Season Home Opener Commemorative Pennant
- Key activations include:
- DJ Kool pregame concert in SeatGeek Legends Plaza
- Sirius Company Go Go Band in SeatGeek Legends Plaza
- Flyover KC-135 and 3x F-16s
- 9/11 Remembrance
- Halftime: Fastrax parachute jump
- K9s for Warriors Team Dog Goldie introduction
9.24: Week Three vs Buffalo Bills
1:00 PM Kickoff, CBS
- Theme: Alumni Homecoming
- Giveaway: Washington Legends Poster
- Key activations include:
- Alumni BBQ Tailgate in SeatGeek Legends Plaza
- Halftime: Alumni Homecoming on-field recognition
10.5: Week Five vs Chicago Bears, presented by Telemundo
Thursday Night Football, Amazon Prime Video, 8:15 PM Kickoff
- Theme: Crucial Catch
- Giveaway: Commanders Crucial Catch scarf
- Key activations include:
- Backyard Band Go Go Band pregame performance at SeatGeek Legends Plaza
- Halftime: All-Star Survivors
- Hispanic Heritage Night
10.29: Week Eight vs Philadelphia Eagles
1:00 PM Kickoff, Broadcast To Be Announced
- Key activations include:
- NFL Fan of the Year celebration
11.19: Week Eleven vs New York Giants
1:00 PM Kickoff, Broadcast To Be Announced
- Theme: Salute to Service
- Giveaway: Commanders Salute to Service flag
- Key activations include:
- Halftime: Washington Commanders Marching Band Salute to the Seven Branches of the Military
- Players will wear the black alternate uniforms as a tribute to our nation's military. The jersey's key features include a custom military-inspired diamond camo and the Commanders wordmark positioned in an authentic military nametape placement
- Canned food drive as part of Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation Harvest Feast
12.3: Week Thirteen vs Miami Dolphins, presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar
1:00 PM Kickoff, Broadcast To Be Announced
- Theme: Fan Appreciation
- Giveaway: Commanders Commemorative pin set
- Key activations include:
- DC Vybe Go Go Band pregame performance at SeatGeek Legends Plaza
- Halftime: Fan field goal kicks
- My Cause, My Cleats Campaign
- Toys for Tots Toy collection
- Pride Night OUT
- HBCU Night Out
12.31: Week Seventeen vs San Francisco 49ers
1:00 PM Kickoff, Broadcast To Be Announced
- Theme: Inspire Change
- Key activations include:
- Halftime: Fireworks
- Inspire Change Shop Black Market
- Walter Payton Man of the Year
- Coat drive
1.6 or 1.7: Week Eighteen vs Dallas Cowboys
1:00 PM Kickoff, Broadcast To Be Announced
- Key activations include:
- Halftime: Command Force and Junior Command Force performance
- NFL Coach of the Week recognition
The Commanders will take on the NFC West and the AFC East this season as well as their NFC East division rivals. The team also will host a Thursday Night Football primetime game in Week Five vs Chicago. Single game tickets are on sale now. Fans who are interested in purchasing tickets and want to stay up to date on all ticketing updates should visit Commanders.com/tickets.
This season, "flexible scheduling" for Sunday Night Football may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and in the NFL's discretion during Weeks 11-17; and for Monday Night Football in the NFL's discretion in Weeks 12-17. During the Flex Scheduling Windows, the games initially scheduled for Sunday Night Football (on NBC) and Monday Night Football (on ESPN or ABC) are tentatively scheduled and subject to change. Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night or Monday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday/Monday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon. Sunday afternoon games may also be moved between 1:00 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET. As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. In Week 18, two games will be played on Saturday (4:30 PM ET and 8:15 PM ET) with the remainder to be played on Sunday afternoon (1:00 PM ET and 4:25 PM ET) and one matchup to be played on Sunday night (8:20 PM ET). Specific dates, start times, and networks for Week 18 matchups will be determined and announced following the conclusion of Week 17. For more information about NFL Flexible Scheduling, please visit https://www.nfl.com/schedules/flexible-scheduling-procedures.
