When the Washington Commanders signed defensive end Dorance Armstrong in March 2024, most believed it was a familiarity signing for new head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. After all, in six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Armstrong’s career-high was 8.5 sacks. However, for most of his Dallas tenure, Armstrong was used in a rotational role.

Quinn thought Armstrong’s best football was ahead of him, as Washington signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract. The Commanders were paying Armstrong like a starting defensive end, and he started 15 games during Washington’s magical 12-5 season. He finished last season with five sacks, seven tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. It was a solid year for Armstrong, but Quinn knew Armstrong was capable of more.

All offseason, every NFL analyst and Washington fan said GM Adam Peters needed to trade for a star edge rusher. First, it was Myles Garrett, then Trey Hendrickson. While Peters likely inquired about adding those star edge rushers, the Commanders were never serious contenders. Washington stayed pat, believing Armstrong was in store for a big year and adding future Hall of Famer Von Miller this summer to supplement the pass rush.

Through three games, Armstrong is proving Quinn and Peters right. He has played in 64% of Washington’s defensive snaps, recorded 15 tackles, including four for loss, three sacks and three QB hits. Those numbers don’t tell the entire story about how well Armstrong has played.

According to NFL Pro, Dorance Armstrong is leading the NFL in both total pressures (18) and pressure rate (25%) through 3 weeks.

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) September 22, 2025

Armstrong’s pressure rates are among the best in the NFL and he’s doing it every week. He has recorded one sack and multiple pressures in each game this season. Dating back to the playoffs, Armstrong has 6.5 sacks in his last six games. What’s remarkable about Armstrong is that while he’s an eight-year veteran, he’s still only 28 years old.

So, while Washington’s defense still has issues to work out, the pass rush is much better than expected. Armstrong’s quietly dominant play is a primary reason for the Commanders’ pass-rush success. If he continues at his current pace, he will record 17 sacks, doubling his previous high. Those would be All-Pro numbers.

This week, Armstrong and the Commanders face the Atlanta Falcons.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong off to a dominant start