Adam Schefter broke the news: the NFL suspended Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong 1 game for violating the league's personal conduct policy. That alone would be a story on a normal roster. On this roster, at this exact moment, it lands with extra weight, because Armstrong is still working his way back from a torn ACL.
Armstrong tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 7 last season during Washington's 44-22 loss to Dallas, ending his year early. He spent the offseason rehabbing, got placed on the active/PUP list before training camp, and was only just activated off it in the last couple of weeks. Now, instead of easing back into game reps, he's got a suspension sitting on top of the recovery timeline.
The league didn't detail the specific conduct violation in its announcement, but Armstrong was arrested in Frisco, Texas in May 2025 on misdemeanor charges of assault causing bodily injury and resisting arrest, for which he received deferred adjudication. The suspension is reportedly set to begin August 30, with Armstrong eligible for reinstatement September 14 — meaning he'll be sidelined for Washington's season opener against the Eagles regardless of where his knee is at.
There's real money on the line here too. Armstrong is in the final year of a 3-year, $33 million deal he signed with Washington, and with no guarantees left on that contract and 2027 unspoken for, this is as much a prove-it year as a comeback year. Missing the opener while unpaid isn't a huge financial hit in isolation, but it's one more obstacle in a season where he already needs to show the team he's still the player worth re-signing.
For a Commanders defense that leaned on Armstrong's edge presence before the injury, losing him for Week 1 — even before factoring the ACL — means someone else has to step up against Philadelphia right out of the gate. Expect Washington's staff to lean on depth pieces early while Armstrong serves the suspension and keeps building back toward game speed, with reinstatement lining up right around when he'd realistically be ready to play anyway.