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Why is Commanders' Dorance Armstrong suspended for Week 1?
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- Why is Commanders' Dorance Armstrong suspended for Week 1?
Why is Commanders' Dorance Armstrong suspended for Week 1?
Keeping things in perspective is vitally important for Commanders fans as well as anyone else.
Sunday, August 30, began the suspension of one Washington Commander. Edge rusher Dorrance Armstrong was suspended by the NFL for conduct judged to be violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. As a result, Armstrong's suspension is scheduled to run from last Sunday through September 13. Armstrong will be eligible to return to the team the following day, one day after the season opener in Philadelphia.
Commanders fans will recall Armstrong tearing his ACL against Dallas in Week 7 last season. Entering the game, it was Armstrong who led the Commanders with 5.5 quarterback sacks.
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Initially placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, Armstrong worked hard all offseason to return and was activated on August 7. However, what many of us did not know was that Armstrong had actually been arrested back on May 10, 2025, in Frisco, Texas, on two misdemeanor charges: assault causing bodily injury and resisting arrest/search or transport.
Apparently, two Frisco, Texas police officers were dispatched to find Armstrong's girlfriend claiming Armstrong was intoxicated, attempting to remove her and her two young children from their home.
The report states that Armstrong indeed smelled of alcohol when officers arrived, was angered that the officers had come to his house, and began shouting at officers, telling them to leave. Even more, Charles Gaston, a friend of Armstrong, who was outside the house with Armstrong when the officers arrived, conveyed to the officers that Armstrong had been drinking that day.
Armstrong's girlfriend told officers she was scared for Armstrong to be in the house. Armstrong was reportedly out of control, yelling and pounding on doors and windows. He turned against his friend Gaston; when officers arrested him, he resisted and headed in the opposite direction. Officers reported he "actively resisted" arrest, kicking a third officer who had arrived in the chest.
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Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reported the following:
As part of his plea bargain, Armstrong's charges were reduced to a Class A misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Armstrong entered a guilty plea and was placed on probation that requires him to submit to random urinalysis as well as a substance abuse screening, and to avoid alcohol, drugs, firearms and any contact with the officer he kicked. He was also required to do 30 hours of community service, agree to anger management and pay the $100 fine and court costs.
Armstrong did not appeal the NFL's penalty of a one-game suspension without pay. To my knowledge, Armstrong has not commented publicly on his arrest or his role in the events leading up to and during the arrest. These types of events remind us that the guys we cheer for are not sinless saints.
What should Armstrong do? Might he have been advised not to comment? I don't know. Personally, I encourage him to make a statement, take responsibility, and make no excuses. Wouldn't it be encouraging to hear that he was actively trying to repair the damage done to the relationships?
What should our response be? Instead of simply picking up our pom poms and cheering him on the field, shouldn't we always be hopeful and supportive of legal order and social order? I mean, aren't those two elements vitally more important than the football team's success? Shouldn't we be hoping for his life more than how many sacks he has this season?
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Instead of simply sweeping this under the rug, we also need to remind ourselves that Armstrong's girlfriend and young children may actually be victims in these circumstances. When we think along these lines, Armstrong, his girlfriend, and his children are all much more important than a football game.
So, as we begin the 2026 season, yes, absolutely pull for the Commanders. But please, ask ourselves what our life's priorities should be.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Why is Commanders' Dorance Armstrong suspended for Week 1?
