The Washington Commanders’ defense took a hit before Week 1 even arrived. Dorance Armstrong will miss the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles after the NFL announced Friday that the defensive lineman has been suspended for one game for a violation of the league's Personal Conduct Policy.
That pushes Armstrong’s first regular-season action back to Week 2, when Washington visits the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s a frustrating delay for a player the Commanders were counting on to be part of the front-line answer on defense. Armstrong was already working his way back after tearing his ACL in Week 7, which cost him most of the 2025 season. Now, instead of opening the year in a rematch of the 2024 NFC Championship Game, he’ll be sidelined for one more week.
Washington’s defense has undergone a major overhaul after a rough 2025 campaign that ranked among the worst in the NFL. Head coach Dan Quinn responded by bringing in Daronte Jones as the new defensive coordinator, and the staff also saw a few other changes.
The roster got a makeover, too. The Commanders added Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal, K'Lavon Chaisson, Amik Robertson, Nick Cross, Rasul Douglas and Sonny Styles through free agency and the draft.
Even with all of that movement, the defensive line is still expected to be Washington’s strongest unit, and Armstrong was projected to be a major piece of it. In limited action last season, he still managed 24 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks despite missing the final 10 games.
For Washington, the task now is simple: get Armstrong back on the field, back in rhythm and back to the production they were expecting when he returns to his starting role.
In Other News...
Commanders Cornerback Question Now Centers On A Familiar Name
Cornerback depth has become one of the quieter questions facing Washington as training camp approaches, and it has a familiar family connection attached to it. After signing Stefon Diggs in the offseason, the Commanders are still looking at ways to shore up the back end of their defense, and that search has naturally led to his brother, Trevon Diggs, as a possible veteran addition.
Trevon Diggs is currently a free agent, which keeps the idea alive for a team that could use help at corner. The fit would make sense on paper because Washington is weighing experience and depth at a spot where every camp rep matters, but the real question is whether the Commanders decide to make a move before practices begin. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders No. 7 Debate Reopens Theismanns Place In Team History
Joe Theismanns old No. 7 has become part of a familiar Washington conversation again, with the former quarterback making it clear he believes the call on whether players can wear it belongs to the franchise. The issue reaches beyond one jersey. It touches the teams long-running and sometimes uneven approach to honoring its best players, from outright retirements to looser forms of recognition, and it naturally invites a fresh look at where Theismann fits in that history.
Theismanns case is built on more than nostalgia, since his career achievements still stand out in Washington lore and compare favorably with some of the names already marked by the organization. Even so, the debate around No. 7 has a way of reopening bigger questions about who gets permanence and why, especially for a team whose history includes both celebrated legends and a handful of unclear distinctions. The unanswered piece now is whether Washington ever decides that Theismann belongs in the same class as the numbers it has chosen to preserve. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Kicker Battle Could Swing On Drew Stevens This Week
The first preseason test arrives this week for the Commanders, and it comes with an extra layer of significance for a roster spot that rarely gets this much attention. Washington opens against the Miami Dolphins with Drew Stevens and Jake Moody still locked in a kicking competition, and the early camp buzz has tilted toward the undrafted rookie as he makes his case for a job no one can afford to take lightly.
Stevens has handled himself well enough in practices to keep the battle interesting, while Moody brings the experience edge into a matchup that now shifts from camp fields to game action. The preseason is where Washington will try to sort out which leg it trusts most for the long haul, and every kick from here on out carries a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]