| DC Defenders | |||||||||||
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 Current season | |||||||||||
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| Basic info | |||||||||||
| Established | December 5, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-12-05) | ||||||||||
| Stadium | Audi Field Washington, D.C. | ||||||||||
| Colors | Red, white, silver[1] | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||
| Owner(s) | League owned | ||||||||||
| General manager | Von Hutchins | ||||||||||
| Head coach | Shannon Harris | ||||||||||
| Team history | |||||||||||
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| Home fields | |||||||||||
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| League / conference affiliations | |||||||||||
XFL (2020–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
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| Championships | |||||||||||
| League championships: 1 | |||||||||||
Conference championships: 1
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Division championships: 1
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| Playoff appearances (2) | |||||||||||
TheDC Defenders are a professionalAmerican football team based inWashington, D.C. The Defenders compete in theUnited Football League (UFL). The team was founded byVince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and is owned byDwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico andFox Corporation. The Defenders play their home games atAudi Field. The team won theUFL championship in2025.
On December 5, 2018, Washington, D.C., was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well asSeattle,Houston,Los Angeles,New York,St. Louis,Tampa Bay, andDallas.[2] On February 21, 2019, the team hiredPep Hamilton, who was most recently an assistant with theMichigan Wolverines football team, as its first head coach and general manager.[3] The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, followed by the uniforms on December 3, 2019.[4]
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On October 15, 2019, the Defenders announced their first player in team history, being assigned formerOhio State Buckeyes quarterbackCardale Jones.[5] Later that day, the2020 XFL draft took place. The Defenders selected wide receiverRashard Davis with the first overall pick, but he did not play for the team and later signed with theTennessee Titans.
On February 8, 2020, the Defenders won the first game in modern XFL history, defeating theSeattle Dragons by a score of 31–19.[6] On February 15, 2020, the Defenders beat theNew York Guardians by a score of 27–0, which was the first shutout in modern XFL history. On March 12, 2020, the XFL announced that the remainder of the2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations and terminated all employees, players, and staff.[7]
On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led byDwayne "The Rock" Johnson,Dany Garcia, andGerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fundRedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.[8][9] In March 2022, a report emerged thatReggie Barlow would become the new head coach of the D.C. XFL franchise, confirming that Washington, D.C., would return as an XFL city. Barlow's hire was official on April 13, 2022, as well as the return of the D.C. franchise on July 24, 2022.[10][11] On October 31, 2022, the XFL announced that the Defenders name would be returning, this time with a brand new logo.[12]
In September 2023,Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[13] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[14] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[15] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name"United Football League".[16] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via herInstagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[17] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[18]
On March 22, 2025, head coach Reggie Barlow departed the Defenders and quarterback coachShannon Harris took over in an interim role for the 2025 season.[19] Three days later, Harris also appeared to resign to join Barlow at Tennessee State but later clarified that such a change would not take place until at least the end of the season.[20] Harris would be named theUFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 6–4 record, culminating in a 58–34 victory over theMichigan Panthers in the2025 UFL championship game.[21][22] Harris accepted the DC head coaching position permanently on July 23; he will join Tennessee State's staff for the 2025 season and will return to DC for 2026.[23]
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB)
Wide receivers(WR)
Tight ends(TE)
| Offensive linemen(OL)
| Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
| Reserve lists Roster updated August 19, 2025 44 active |
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| Season | Pos | Name | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CB | Elijah Campbell | Miami Dolphins |
| 2023 | P | Daniel Whelan | Green Bay Packers |
| 2023 | WR | Chris Blair | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2023 | WR | Lucky Jackson | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2023–2024 | WR | Brandon Smith | New York Jets |
| 2025 | OT | Yasir Durant | New England Patriots |
| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | QB | Cardale Jones | FormerOhio State Buckeyes quarterback |
| 2020 | WR | Eli Rogers | FormerPittsburgh Steelers wide receiver |
| 2020 | S | Matt Elam | FormerBaltimore Ravens safety, 2013 1st round pick |
| 2020 | S | Rahim Moore | FormerDenver Broncos safety, 2011 2nd round pick |
| 2024 | WR | Preston Williams | FormerMiami Dolphins wide receiver |
| 2024 | LB | Jordan Evans | FormerCincinnati Bengals linebacker, 2017 6th round pick |
| 2023–2024 | S | D. J. Swearinger | FormerHouston Texans safety, 2013 2nd round pick |
| 2023–present | S | Montae Nicholson | FormerWashington Redskins safety, 2017 4th round pick |
| 2023–present | QB | Jordan Ta'amu | Former NFL backup, undrafted |
| 2024 | CB | Gareon Conley | FormerOakland Raiders cornerback, 2016 1st round pick |
| 2024–present | CB | Deandre Baker | FormerNew York Giants cornerback, 2019 1st round pick |
| 2024 | WR | Keke Coutee | FormerHouston Texans wide receiver, 2018 4th round pick |
| 2025 | WR | Lynn Bowden | FormerNew Orleans Saints wide receiver, 2020 3rd round pick |
| 2025–present | WR | Jaydon Mickens | FormerTampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver |
| 2025–present | CB | Kelvin Joseph | FormerDallas Cowboys cornerback, 2021 2nd round pick |
| 2025 | OT | D. J. Fluker | FormerLos Angeles Chargers offensive tackle, 2013 1st round pick |
| Defenders XFL OPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jordan Ta'amu | QB | XFL |
| Defenders UFL Championship MVP winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jordan Ta'amu | QB | UFL |
| # | Coach | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| 1 | Pep Hamilton | 2020 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Reggie Barlow | 2023–2024 | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2023 XFL Coach of the Year[24] |
| 3 | Shannon Harris | 2025–present | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2025UFL Coach of the Year[25] |
| # | Coach | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| 1 | Tanner Engstrand | 2020 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Fred Kaiss | 2023–present | 30 | 19 | 11 | .633 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2025UFL Assistant Coach of the Year |
| # | Coach | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| 1 | Jeff FitzGerald | 2020 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Louie Cioffi | 2020 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | – | – | – | |
| 3 | Gregg Williams | 2023–2025 | 22 | 15 | 7 | .612 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Blake Williams | 2025–present | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Reggie Barlow | Audi Field | Washington, D.C. | Seattle Sea Dragons | 37–21 | 9–1 |
| Total North Division championship games won: | 1 | |||||
| Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Shannon Harris | The Dome at America's Center | St. Louis, Missouri | St. Louis Battlehawks | 36–18 | 6–4 |
| Total XFL Conference championship games won: | 1 | |||||
| Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Shannon Harris | The Dome at America's Center | St. Louis, Missouri | Michigan Panthers | 58–34 | 6–4 |
| Total UFL championship games won: | 1 | |||||
The Defenders' main rivalry is against the St. Louis Battlehawks.[26] At the end of their first meeting of the 2023 season, three players were ejected after a brawl broke out.[27] A week later, the Battlehawks' quarterback,A. J. McCarron, called their competition the "first XFL rivalry."[28] DC leads the overall series 5–3 and leads the playoff series 1–0.
The Defenders also have a rivalry with the Arlington/Dallas Renegades. The rivalry stems from the two teams being founded in the 2020 iteration of the XFL and both being members of the UFL's XFL Conference, as well as there being a Dallas/Washington rivalry in the NFL. The rivalry picked up steam when the Renegades upset DC in the 2023 XFL Championship Game. DC leads the overall series 4–2 while the Renegades lead the playoff series 1–0.
| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Sea Dragons | 4–0 | 1.000 |
| Houston Roughnecks (2020) | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Houston Gamblers | 1–1 | .500 |
| Memphis Showboats | 2–0 | 1.000 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 3–2 | .667 |
| Vegas Vipers | 2–1 | .667 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 5–3 | .600 |
| Dallas Renegades | 4–2 | .500 |
| Orlando Guardians | 1–1 | .500 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 1–1 | .500 |
| Los Angeles Wildcats | 0–1 | .000 |
| Michigan Panthers | 1–2 | .333 |
| UFL champions† (2024–present) | XFL champions§ (2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2020 | 2020 | XFL | — | East | 1st | 3 | 2 | Season Suspended after 5 games due toCOVID-19 | Pep Hamilton | .600 | |
| 2021 | — | ||||||||||
| 2022 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 2023 | XFL | — | North | 1st^ | 9 | 1 | Won Division Finals (Sea Dragons) 37–21 LostXFL Championship (Renegades) 26–35 | Jordan Ta'amu (OPOY) Reggie Barlow (COTY) | Reggie Barlow | .650 |
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | XFL | — | 3rd | 4 | 6 | ||||
| 2025 | 2025 | UFL | XFL | — | 2nd * | 6 | 4 | Won XFL Conference Championship (atBattlehawks) 36–18 WonUFL Championship (atPanthers) 58–34 | Shannon Harris (COTY) Fred Kaiss (ACOTY) | Shannon Harris | .600 |
| Total | 22 | 13 | All-time regular season record (2020–2025) | .629 | |||||||
| 3 | 1 | All-time postseason record (2020–2024) | .750 | ||||||||
| 25 | 14 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2020–2024) | .641 | ||||||||
| All-time Defenders leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Defenders | |
| Passing yards | Jordan Ta'amu | 5,885 passing yards | 2023–present | |
| Passing touchdowns | Jordan Ta'amu | 46 passing touchdowns | 2023–present | |
| Rushing yards | Abram Smith | 1,073 rushing yards | 2023–present | |
| Rushing touchdowns | Abram Smith | 8 rushing touchdowns | 2023–present | |
| Receiving yards | Chris Rowland | 784 receiving yards | 2024–present | |
| Receiving touchdowns | Cornell Powell | 7 receiving touchdowns | 2025–present | |
| Receptions | Chris Rowland | 62 receptions | 2024–present | |
| Tackles | Anthony Hines III | 148 tackles | 2023–present | |
| Sacks | Derick Roberson | 11 sacks | 2024–present | |
| Interceptions | Michael Joseph | 4 interceptions | 2023–2024 | |
| Coaching wins | Reggie Barlow | 13 wins | 2023–2024 | |
Regular season –As of June 9, 2025
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Cardale Jones(3–2) | [29] | |
| 2021–2022 | Suspended operations | ||
| 2023 | Jordan Ta'amu(9–1) | [30] | |
| 2024 | Jordan Ta'amu(4–6) | [31] | |
| 2025 | Jordan Ta'amu(6–3) /Mike DiLiello(0–1) | [32] |
Postseason
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jordan Ta'amu(1–1) | [33] | |
| 2025 | Jordan Ta'amu(2–0) |
Most games as starting quarterback
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Ta'amu | 2023–2025 | 29 | 29 | 19 | 10 | .655 |
| Cardale Jones | 2020 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 |
| Mike DiLiello | 2024–2025 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
The Baltimore–Washington area has a history of several teams in alternative professional football. TheUSFL had theWashington Federals (a mostly unsuccessful franchise) in its first two years. Then thePhiladelphia/Baltimore Stars moved fromVeterans Stadium inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, toByrd Stadium inCollege Park, Maryland, in 1985, winning the USFL's final championship. TheCanadian Football League'sBaltimore CFL Colts/Stallions were the only successfulAmerican team in the league during their two-year existence in the mid-1990s (and were the only American-based team to win theGrey Cup, the CFL's championship).Indoor teams to have played in Washington include theWashington Commandos and theWashington Valor (which folded two months before the Defenders' first game) of theArena Football League, and theD.C. Armor ofAmerican Indoor Football Association, in addition to several teams based in Maryland.
The Defenders join theWashington Commanders,Washington Nationals,Washington Capitals,Washington Wizards,Washington Mystics,D.C. United,Washington Spirit,Capital City Go-Go, andOld Glory DC as professional sports teams based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Defenders fans have taken up a tradition of assemblingbeer snakes out of empty beer containers. The snake constructed at the March 8, 2020, game vs theSt. Louis Battlehawks ended up spanning several rows, including a contribution from then-CommissionerOliver Luck.[34]
In the 2023 season opener against theSeattle Sea Dragons, fans threwlemons onto the field after stadium security personnel confiscated several attempts at making a beer snake, delaying the game for a few minutes. This prompted the Defenders to discuss the issue with Audi Field security and set new guidelines that allowed the beer snake to return during the next home game on March 5.[35]
Despite playing in the UFL's smallest stadium by capacity, the Defenders have the second-highest attendance in the league as of 2024, regularly playing to at-capacity or near-capacity crowds at Audi Field.[36]
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