Week 2 of training camp is now behind us, and the Washington Commanders had a much-needed rest day on Sunday after a hot practice on Saturday.
The heat didn't seem to bother rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, though, as he walked up the hill to speak with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Brian Baldinger for a segment on Training Camp LIVE. Most veterans take the cart, but Styles walked, citing that he has 'fresh legs' at the end of the segment.
While chatting with the two reporters, Styles fielded questions about how having Matt Patricia as a defensive coordinator at Ohio State helped prepare him for the NFL, about working with 1s and 2s during practice and what the difference is, and a slew of other things. Around the three-minute mark of the interview,
they ask Styles if this is a fun defense to play in.
Our full interview with #Commanders LB Sonny Styles, the rookie who walked up the hill to see us instead of getting the cart ride the veterans usually get around here.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 8, 2026
“I’ve got some fresh legs. I’ll be all right.” pic.twitter.com/ioVNQQIT5S
"Yeah, super fun defense," Styles replied. "You know, we're super aggressive; we like to play offense on defense. They like to determine the numbers. We're playing on our terms. I love that mindset, and I think the way he (Daronte Jones) teaches it, too, it's so easy to digest the information the way he teaches the game. It's just super easy ot understand. Sometimes, we're giving all these different looks, so you'd think it would be confusing for us, but it's easy for us, so he's done a great job of that."
Later in the interview, Styles also praises the Commanders' defensive line for making it easy on the linebackers to make their reads and do their jobs.
Daronte Jones is in his first season as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He's held the position at the collegiate level more than once, but this is his first NFL stint. He's working with a defensive roster that's never worked together before, and not only are they having a good time, but he's teaching them in a way that's easy to understand. When players understand their roles, it becomes that much easier to implement a scheme.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' rookie Sonny Styles is a big fan of Daronte Jones' scheme
