All About NFL Legend Major Tuddy, the Washington Commanders' Pig Mascot

Fans of the National Football League (NFL) have no doubt noticed that since 2023, when the Washington Commanders football team scores a touchdown, a pig-like mascot named Major Tuddy celebrates with glee. For a team representing the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area — a region not exactly known for pig farming — many fans are wondering why, exactly, the Commanders chose a pig to represent their team.

Fans of a certain age may already be shouting the answer as we speak.

But for fans who aren't familiar with the Washington football club's history, including the teams of the 1980s, it's quite the mystery why they opted for a pig as a mascot. Does it have to do with the football being nicknamed a "pigskin" — even though footballs are actually made from cowhide? Do the Commanders have a connection to pigs or pig farming?

Below, we review the rich history of the Washington football club and why the current mascot resonates with their once-powerful teams of yore.

According to the Major Tuddy mascot information page on the Washington Commanders website, "Major Tuddy's love for Washington football began when he was just a piglet after watching the Hogs' offensive lines of the 1980s and 1990s."

Indeed, when the Washington Commanders were once called by the more offensive name, Washington Redskins, their offensive lineman throughout the 1980s and early 1990s were so dominant that they earned the nickname of Hogs.

"The dominating 'Hogs' offensive line...included stalwarts Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Mark May, Jeff Bostic, and George Starke," according to the Commanders website.

As one Facebook page puts it, "Along with Jeff Bostic, Mark May, George Starke and Russ Grimm, Jacoby was a founding member of the Redskins' renowned 'Hogs' offensive line of the 1980s and early 1990s (deemed one of the best front fives of NFL history), which was a mainstay of the Redskins' glory years during the first Joe Gibbs era."

Major Tuddy was announced as the Washington Commanders' mascot on Jan. 1, 2023, according to Sports Illustrated. The team rebranded the year prior, and the name "Tuddy" refers to the team's goal of scoring touchdowns aplenty.

To be clear, Washington football fans were not exactly pleased with Major Tuddy's debut. One Twitter user wrote at the time, "Why does everything with this franchise have to be so [gosh darn] cringy, guys? C’mon man."

Another Twitter user echoed the sentiment of countless other fans who desperately wished for former owner Dan Snyder to sell the team, pleading with the Twitter account at the time, "everything you guys do is a fail. sell the team."

Today, Major Tuddy dresses in fashionable clothes and has a strong presence on social media.

While the history of the Washington football club — especially their former team name — isn't always positive, it is indisputable that the Hogs that comprised the team's offensive lines throughout the 1980s and early 1990s left a lasting impression on the fan base.

Today, Major Tuddy honors that legacy.