The Philadelphia Eagles will kick off the 2026 NFL season with a matchup against the Washington Commanders next month.
Before the two teams get through their preseason action, the Commanders have been hit with bad news over the past week. First, the Commanders found out that their star lineman Laremy Tunsil would miss the upcoming matchup due to a torn triceps.
On August 14, the Commanders found out that one of their edge rushers, Dorance Armstrong, would miss the game due to a one-game suspension, which was handed down by the NFL.
NFL Makes Dorance Armstrong Announcement vs Eagles
“Dorance Armstrong of the Washington Commanders is suspended for the club’s first regular season game without pay for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy,” an official NFL statement wrote. “Armstrong is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games. The suspension will begin on August 30 and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Monday, September 14.”
The Commanders are coming off a tough season that was filled with plenty of injury concerns. As they prepare for a comeback effort two seasons after cracking the NFC Championship, where the Commanders lost to the Eagles, they are certainly facing some difficult circumstances early on.
Dorance Armstrong’s NFL Career
The 29-year-old edge rusher has been in the NFL since 2018. Coming out of Kansas, Armstrong was a fourth-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys.
He spent six seasons playing for the Cowboys. During his second-to-last run in Dallas, Armstrong produced a career-high 8.5 sacks while completing 33 tackles.
During the 2024 NFL offseason, Armstrong was signed to a three-year deal by the Commanders. Washington invested $45 million in the promising pass rusher.
During the 2024 NFL season, Armstrong started 15 out of 16 games for Washington. He totaled 20 tackles and 5.0 sacks.
Before going down with a season-ending knee injury in 2025, Armstrong appeared in seven games. He came up with 16 tackles and 5.5 sacks throughout the first half of the season. He officially hit the injured reserve on October 21, 2025.
Unfortunately, due to an off-field incident, Armstrong’s comeback will be put on hold beyond the first Eagles-Commanders matchup in September.