Washington Commanders rookie linebacker Sonny Styles had a successful debut in last week’s 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. While his team fell just short, Styles made his presence felt, finishing with four tackles, including two for loss, one sack, and a quarterback hit.
Styles’ sack was one of more talked-about individual plays from Week 1, as he bowled through Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley and sacked Jalen Hurts. Even Barkley acknowledged it was a terrific play from the No. 7 overall pick.
Washington was excited about Styles after his debut. But Styles didn’t feel the same way about his performance.
“Missed tackle, the play I thought was a false start, gotta keep playing through the whistle, and there was no whistle blown; give
up a touchdown," Styles said on Friday, describing Philadelphia's decisive touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“I had another [run] fit I kind of messed up. A few drops I thought I could’ve got to the ball a little quicker. And then being a linebacker leaving the game with four tackles is unacceptable.”
Sonny Styles’ sack is top of mind when I think about his NFL debut. What's top of mind for Styles after his first game? Where he messed up
— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) September 18, 2026
“Being a linebacker, leaving a game with four tackles is unacceptable”
Some of Sonny's availability today⬇️ pic.twitter.com/j5U2PUcrw6
Unacceptable? Styles is being a bit hard on himself here. He played well. However, this is the exact mentality you want. It’s leadership. It’s accountability. Do you think Styles cares about his sack? He could have had four sacks, and Washington lost, and he’d still be talking about what he could’ve done better.
Styles and the Commanders will look to avoid starting the season 0-2 on Sunday, when they face the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Sonny Styles has one word to describe his first NFL game
