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Sonny Styles named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

Sep 30, 2026 at 11:59 AM

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The National Football League announced today that Washington linebacker Sonny Styles has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the team's Week 3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

The honor is the first of Styles' career and it is the 39th time a Washington player has received the NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor since the award's inception in 1984. Styles became the first Washington player to earn the honor since defensive end Ryan Kerrigan won the award in Week 1 of the 2020 season. Styles is the first linebacker to win the award since Keenan Robinson in Week 7 of the 2014 season.

Styles is the first Washington rookie to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since Brian Orakpo did so in 2009 (Chase Young won NFC Defensive Player of the Month in 2020 but never earned a Player of the Week honor). Styles is the first rookie since QB Jayden Daniels in 2024 to win an NFC Player of the Week honor for Washington.

Styles recorded five tackles (four solo), one interception, one forced fumble, one quarterback hit and two passes defensed in Washington's win over the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday. He was the only player in the NFC this week to record an interception, forced fumble and multiple passes defensed.

Styles is the first rookie in franchise history to register an interception, a forced fumble and multiple passes defensed in a single game. He is the first player in the NFC to record an interception, forced fumble and two or more passes defensed in a single game this season and became the first to accomplish the feat since Jessie Bates did so in Week 10 of the 2025 season.

Styles is the first rookie to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since Edgerrin Cooper in 2024 and he joins Wilbur Marshall, Ken Harvey, Brian Orakpo and Keenan Robinson as the only linebackers in franchise history to earn the distinction (LB London Fletcher was awarded an NFC Defensive Player of the Month Award but never earned a POW honor with Washington).

Styles joins Champ Bailey, Chris Horton and Brian Orakpo as the only rookies in franchise history to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since the award's inception in 1984.

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