The Washington Redskins said in March that they would honor the 1987 replacement players that gave them a chance for their second Super Bowl win, and on Tuesday, they fulfilled that promise. Following the strike-shortened 1987 season, the Washington Redskins crushed the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII, but the team didn't recognize the players that put them in a position to do so for just over 30 years.

The reason is because most of those players were cut after they went 3-0 to start the season. The players' strike that made their presence necessary was over, and they were released from the team. While they got a purse, the players didn't get rings, due in no small part to frustration from the players that were striking over their ability to play in the first place.

"The Scabs," as they were called, got attention again from a 30 for 30 documentary on them, "Year of the Scab." The documentary series took notice of the recognition.

"Year of the Scab" was released in April 2017, and since then calls were made to honor the Redskins players who put the team in a position to make a run. In March, owner Dan Snyder relented, saying:

"The 3-0 record of the Redskins replacement players was part of the remarkable success of the 1987 Washington Redskins. Their contributions are part of Redskins history and represent an integral reason why a Lombardi Trophy from the 1987 campaign resides in our facility today. Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners on this project, we are happy to honor these players for their role in that World Championship."

To the players, receiving the ring is incredibly meaningful. You can see it in their reactions.

In a cool gesture, Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams helped to honor the team. Williams was a proponent of honoring the players that started the season off for the Redskins, saying in the documentary that "it's unfortunate that those guys didn't share in the ring because they did put us in position to go forward." 

Now, they finally share it.