The football world received very tragic news on Wednesday. Former Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard passed away at the age of 86.
Beathard's passing was confirmed to the Washington Post by his son, Casey. Beathard passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's disease, according to his son.
Beathard rose through the NFL ranks beginning in 1963. He worked as a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons before being hired as director of player personnel for the Miami Dolphins in 1972.
In 1978, the Washington Commanders hired Beathard as general manager. He spent 10 years in the Commanders organization, winning two Super Bowls in 1982 and 1987. The Commanders also appeared in the Super Bowl in 1983 but lost to the then-Los Angeles Raiders.
In 1988, Beathard decided to leave his post as GM in the nation's capital. He worked as a studio analyst for NFL on NBC for a year after resigning. In 1990, the Chargers hired him as their new GM.
Beathard had a successful tenure in San Diego. In fact, the Chargers won their division in Beathard's third season after years of futility. Furthermore, the Chargers appeared in Super Bowl XXIX against the San Francisco 49ers but lost.
After an amazing career, the successful GM had one stop left in his football journey. The former Commanders and Chargers GM entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming immortalized among the game's best.
Both the Chargers and Commanders released statements about their former GM on Wednesday. “Bobby was who we all aspire to be – a friendly, caring, giving, thoughtful human being who brought people from all walks of life together,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in his statement.
“Bobby was a man of extraordinary class and integrity and was the architect behind the greatest teams in this organization's history,” the Commanders said in their statement. “He cared deeply about everyone he worked with and always put the team first.”
Beathard's legacy and impact within the game of football will certainly never disappear. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the Beathard family.
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