The Washington Commanders will kick off the 2026 NFL season with a Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13. Moreover, it’s an opportunity for Sonny Styles to silence any concerns that some might have about him.
It was a challenging preseason for the No. 7 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, it’s preseason, and Styles is transitioning from college to the pros to see which aspects of his game will translate to the NFL.
While there are concerns over Styles from what he showed in the preseason, former Washington linebacker London Fletcher isn’t overreacting.
“For Sonny in particular, I’ve watched him grow all the way back to high school, him being in high school and then him going to Ohio State,” Fletcher said in an Aug. 29 video from “Good Morning Football.”
“I’m from Cleveland, Ohio State fan. Watching him make the transition from safety to linebacker. He’s only been playing linebacker for two years, two seasons. And I tell people Sonny’s just scratching the surface. The sky’s the limit for him. When you got that athleticism, those measurables, the football acumen, the pedigree. He’s a student of the game.”
During his four seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Styles had 142 solo tackles, 97 assists, 9.0 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 53 games, per StatMuse. As a result, he’ll be looking to translate his college production to the NFL.
Sonny Styles Gets Major Backing From London Fletcher
Moreover, Fletcher noted why he believes Styles will improve once the regular season gets underway.
“He’s a student of the game,” Fletcher added. “I was so impressed with that. But so far in the preseason, I thought he really made some great improvements in his last ball game, just with his physicality, his pad level, his length in coverage, dropping to the zones and all those types of things.”
The former Washington linebacker also believes that Styles has yet to show other aspects of his game.
“[Defensive coordinators are] kind of keeping everything close to the vest [during the preseason], not going to show everything,” Fletcher said. “There are so many things that they haven’t even unleashed. Sonny Styles. He’s not blitzing the quarterback [and] he’s not coming off the edge.
“He’s not playing all the different positions that he has the ability to do. So I’m looking forward to calling his games and watching him, seeing one of the great young football players in the National Football League.”
Commanders LB Sonny Styles Gets Strong Message
Recently, JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan didn’t hold back for anyone, drawing conclusions about Styles based on how the rookie linebacker performed during the preseason.
“Listen, if you’re drawing conclusions on Sonny Styles at this point, you’re an idiot,” Finlay said in an Aug. 24 video from 106.7 The Fan. “Whether he’s going to be the Sam or the Will might change depending on the setup… But what you want from Sonny Styles this year is a position that isn’t built on flash plays.
“What people want to see in preseason, where a guy plays 18 snaps or whatever, is, ‘Show me a flash, show me a flash.’ He’s not a receiver. He’s not a quarterback. He’s not a running back.”
Commanders’ Sonny Styles Issued Clear Statement Before Week 1