Is it possible to be a legend of the game and still underrated in NFL history? Well, it is if your name’s Art Monk, one of the best wide receivers ever to don a uniform, but rarely mentioned in discussions about the GOATs at his position.
Fortunately, the Washington Commanders are in no doubt about Monk’s greatness. They are planning a fitting tribute to the prolific catch machine who represented the Burgundy and Gold outstandingly for 14 seasons.
Monk, who won three Super Bowls and set numerous franchise records in Washington, will have his iconic No. 81 retired during the 2025 NFL season, the Commanders announced on Tuesday, July 15.
The ceremony will take place when the Commanders host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 on November 2 for Sunday Night Football, per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out, “Monk now joins Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Sean Taylor, Sonny Jurgensen and Darrell Green as the only players in franchise history to have their numbers retired. Josh Harris, Doug Williams, Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and team president Mark Clouse went to Florida to surprise him.”
The personal visit was a classy touch to honor a player whose understated personality and simple, but enduringly effective playing style, have left him unfairly overlooked by most of the broader footballing public.
Commanders Ensure Art Monk’s Legacy Will Be Recognized
Monk being overlooked at all is bizarre since he established a litany of both league-wide and team-specific milestones during a decorated career. He was the “first NFL receiver to catch 900 passes and first to catch a touchdown pass in 15 consecutive seasons. The dominating wide receiver also caught a pass in 183 games in a row,” according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The same source also credited Monk with “being the first Washington receiver to amass three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and the first to catch 70 or more passes in three consecutive seasons.”
Monk set such a pace he became the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions with this grab against the Denver Broncos during the 1992 season.
His statistical accolades were outstanding, although some might point to Monk posting five 1,000-yard seasons out of 16 as reason for why he continues to fly under the radar. Yet, any such argument needs context, starting with Monk being a first-round pick in 1980, Washington’s “first first-round pick since 1968,” per team historian Michael Richman.
It meant Monk entered a team still tethered to the power running of John Riggins. Even when Washington’s offense became more pass-focused in the late-eighties and early ’90s, Monk shared time with two other outstanding receivers, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders.
Together, they formed the famed ‘Posse,’ meaning Monk was rarely the go-to receiver, unlike many contemporaries from his era, such as San Francisco 49ers icon Jerry Rice.
Monk’s ultimate legacy goes beyond numbers and transcends eras. He was ahead of his time, both in terms of physical profile and playing style.
Art Monk Won in Simple and Creative Ways
It’s been easy over the years for critics to downrate Monk’s greatness because of the number of short, high-percentage routes he ran. Perhaps that’s why it took so long for Monk to be enshrined at Canton. As Richman acknowledges, “he was a finalist for induction eight times since becoming eligible in 2001.”
Richman also explained how Monk’s “trademark pass pattern was the ‘dodge’ route, a short route over the middle.” Yet, rather than this simple and safe route being a negative, Monk turned it into a positive because he “possessed the size, power and toughness to execute the pattern, maneuvering through traffic and fending off linebackers and other defenders. He could also gain big yardage after the catch.”
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Monk was an outlier during a time when many of the league’s receivers were slender speedsters. Instead, he used muscle to win out of his breaks and long strides to cover more ground quickly.
While his game was straightforward, Monk afforded Washington plenty of scope for creativity. Legendary head coach Joe Gibbs moved him around freely and even created formations where Monk would line up at tight end.
Gibbs kept Monk on the move so often, “the abiding image” of No. 81 became “as the man in motion at the snap,” according to Sports Illustrated’s William Nack.
There are lessons in how Washington used Monk for how the Commanders can deploy a breakout candidate this season. Particularly when modern-day receivers feast on motion, underneath pass patterns and playing a variety of alignments.
All of the things Monk quietly did for years during a career being honored in the right way by the Commanders.
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