Sonny Styles Didn’t Need Long to Show Why Washington Was Ready to ‘Unleash’ Him — Commanders Daily

Sonny Styles wasted little time showing why Washington was ready to trust him with a bigger role, delivering an impactful NFL debut after Frankie Luvu left with an injury.

Sep 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles (52) is seen against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Frankie Luvu went down, Commanders rookie Sonny Styles stepped up. Here is how the No. 7 pick terrorized Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in Week 1. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC

The Washington Commanders knew the athlete they were getting when they drafted linebacker Sonny Styles with the 7th pick this year. They weren't sure how long it would take for him to make a difference; after one game, they now know. After weeks of talking about how quickly he was progressing, when Frankie Luvu left the game with a groin injury, Styles was on the field every play and had his first NFL sack within minutes. A play where he absolutely destroyed running back Saquon Barkley's attempt at protection, and then, after barrel-rolling him, brought down Hurts for a six-yard loss just as fellow rookie Joshua Josephs was coming off the edge. They were literally seconds away from meeting in the backfield at the same time. At around the six-minute mark, Styles tackled Barkley for a loss in the backfield, and then around the 2:30 mark, he stopped Jalen Hurts at the line of scrimmage.

Oh my Sonny Styles 😳

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/c77koTv4jd

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026

What a PLAY by the rook, Sonny Styles 💪

WASvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/KjyjZPPBcZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Commanders HC Dan Quinn told us before the game what the staff expected: "Already, in like six weeks, the growth that I've seen from him... You can tell he's comfortable, even more comfortable now with the system, the people, the way it goes. But yeah, we're really pumped to unleash him." Sunday went a long way to show that Washington had plenty of trust in him in pressure situations, but was happy to bring him along as it fit, with the "unleash" comment directed at letting his athleticism and instincts shine and become part of the defense. More time on the field proved Styles was definitely comfortable enough to attack instead of hesitate.

The trust in Styles is not something that just happened; Quinn talked about him wearing the green-dot back during camp: "Sonny’s more than capable of doing that. Frankie as well." Sunday affirmed that the team's belief that he can process the defense while still playing fast was spot on. He was never going to be the type of player who sat and learned for a season; Quinn knew that.

After the game, it was clear Quinn liked what he saw in the defense. "I like our speed, I like our hitting, I like our physicality, I like being in and out of pressures for us," Quinn said. Overall, the team finished with 10 tackles for loss and three sacks.

If Sunday was the first look at what an unleashed Sonny Styles looks like, Washington has plenty of reasons to keep letting him go.

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