The Eagles’ Week 1 trip to Washington has taken another turn in Philadelphia’s favor.
The Commanders were already dealing with a major problem on the left side of their offensive line after starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil was set to miss significant time because of his injury. That alone gave the Eagles’ defensive front a clearer path to pressure the Washington offense.
Now the Commanders have lost another piece. The NFL announced that defensive end Dorance Armstrong has been suspended for one game for violating its personal conduct policy.
Armstrong had 24 tackles, seven quarterback hits, and 5.5 sacks last season for Washington. He is entering his third year with the Commanders after spending his previous six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
For Philadelphia, the timing couldn’t be much better. Armstrong may not be Washington’s top pass rusher, but he gives the defense valuable depth and can still create disruption when he rotates in. Taking him out of the opener strips away another option for a Commanders front that is already short-handed.
That also helps the Eagles’ offensive line, especially tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. The two are considered one of the best tackle duos in the league, and this matchup should be even more manageable without Armstrong in the mix.
Washington’s expected edge rushers for the game are Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, with Joshua Josephs possibly seeing more work depending on how the Commanders handle the rotation. Oweh and Chaisson combined for 15 sacks in 2025, and neither is viewed as a major sack threat.
So the Eagles head into Week 1 with another edge. Washington has a shaky situation at left tackle, and now it will also be without a key pass rusher. That is not exactly the kind of setup the Commanders wanted for opening day.
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