The Washington Commanders face the Miami Dolphins on Friday in their first preseason game of 2026. Ahead of that matchup, the Commanders and Dolphins held a joint practice on Wednesday. After practice, rookie linebacker Sonny Styles joined Lynnell Willingham of the Westwood 1 Sports to discuss how things went.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨
— Lynnell Willingham (@Nell_BTP) August 12, 2026
COMMANDERS ROOKIE LB SONNY STYLES JOINED ME AFTER JOINT PRACTICE VS THE DOLPHINS 🎙️🏈@westwood1sportspic.twitter.com/QCZXBR36An
First, Willingham asks Styles how it felt and how he thought the defense performed. “A solid day,” Styles replied. “I thought we competed actually really well. It’s nice to get out there and compete against another team. Overall, it was a good day.”
And what was the message from Dan Quinn and Daronte Jones heading into this practice, the team’s first time in 2026 hitting a team in a different colored jersey? “I mean, obviously, we want to keep it clean and keep it professional, but I think we want a certain violence, and for that to be the standard for who we are as a team; we’re a violent team. I thought we played violent out there, especially those front seven guys. I think we did really good today.”
Willingham also asked Styles where he’s improved the most, and Styles said that he’s just learning to trust himself more and take his shot without worrying if he’s messing up. As a rookie, there’s always that fear of screwing things up, but if players can rid themselves of that fear, that confidence improves their play alone. Understanding the expectations and knowing you can do your job without that fear are what take players to the next level.
The Commanders’ defense as a whole is going to look very different in 2026 than it did in 2025, and Styles is going to be fun to watch as the season progresses and he gets even more comfortable with his role on the field.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders LB Sonny Styles reveals where he's improved the most