The Washington Commanders’ inconsistent performance this NFL season could be seriously impacted not only by the uncertainty surrounding Jayden Daniels’ short-term availability but also by another tough injury blow. Dan Quinn confirmed that a key player will be out for the rest of the season.
Veteran Dorance Armstrong, a key piece of the Commanders’ defense, suffered a serious knee injury and will be unable to join his teammates for the remainder of the season.
The news was confirmed by the head coach himself and reported by NFL insider Adam Schefter through his official X (formerly Twitter) account. There, the serious blow was revealed for a team once considered a title contender.
“Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong suffered a season-ending knee injury, per Dan Quinn,” the reported shared via @AdamSchefter. It may be time to reshuffle the deck for one of the most influential defensive ends in Washington’s system.
Armstrong’s impact on the Commanders’ defense
The Washington Commanders defense will face a significant challenge after defensive end Dorance Armstrong was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Armstrong, who had quickly become a key component of Joe Whitt Jr.’s new defensive scheme, was off to a hot start in 2025, already logging 5.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits in just six games.
His departure creates a massive void in the edge rotation and puts immediate pressure on depth players like Preston Smith and Jacob Martin to fill the void left by one of the team’s most effective pass rushers.
Uncertainty surrounding Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders are bracing for a difficult stretch as the availability of quarterback Jayden Daniels remains a question mark for next week’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
While coach Dan Quinn confirmed that the MRI on Daniels’ right hamstring indicated a “not significant or long-term” injury, the dual-threat QB’s status for Monday Night Football will not be known until later in the week.
If the hamstring forces Daniels—who already missed two games earlier this season with a knee injury—to sit, veteran backup Marcus Mariota is expected to step in, having taken over late in the loss to the Cowboys and previously started in the two games Daniels was sidelined.
What’s next for the Commanders?
The season is far from over for the Commanders, which means from this point forward, they’ll need to stack as many wins as possible to stay in the hunt in the NFC East:
- @ Kansas City Chiefs, October 27
- vs Seattle Seahawks, November 2
- vs Detroit Lions, November 9
- @ Miami Dolphins, November 16
- Bye Week