Ryan Day’s Ohio State scripted history after four OSU players went in the top 11 of the 2026 NFL draft. That comes with an intense spotlight, a promising future, and most importantly, a lucrative rookie contract. One of the former Buckeye linebackers, drafted by the Washington Commanders, has finally inked a lucrative four-year deal with the team.
According to reports, former OSU linebacker Sonny Styles has signed a whopping $37.2 million four-year rookie contract with the Commanders. The team shared a picture of Styles in a Commanders T-shirt, smiling at the camera as he signed his contract. The structure of the contract is also frontloaded, since Styles will get a big chunk in a signing bonus.
Styles will receive a total of $23.9 million as a signing bonus under his four-year contract, based on the NFL rookie wage scale. Now, excluding the signing bonus, Styles will receive $3.45 million in annual wages from the team. It’s a crucial step for the former OSU All-American, who has big plans with his NFL team, after being drafted seventh overall.
“I love the game. I love the guys, and I love the brotherhood. I’m excited to be part of the organization,” Styles said after his name was called in this year’s NFL draft. “Coach Quinn, Mr. Peters, the whole staff. I love everyone there. I remember I was there a few weeks ago. And I told Coach Quinn, I was like, ‘Hopefully I’ll be back soon.’ He said, ‘We’ll see.’ So, I’m super happy.”
Washington’s first-round pick Sonny Styles signed his four-year, fully-guaranteed, $37.2 million contract. pic.twitter.com/8ysQRfUfAW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2026
The Washington Commanders pursued Sonny Styles since the start of the pre-draft process. General Manager Adam Peters was especially in awe of his leadership. After a dominant 4.4-second 40-yard dash performance, it was difficult to pass on Styles. The only problem was that he was a lucrative draft pick, and the Commanders’ front office did not expect him to be available. But once teams passed on him six times, Peters didn’t think twice.
“For us, it was a pretty easy decision when he was still on the board. The pick was easy; I didn’t have to think too hard when he was still there,” Peters said about drafting Styles. “Sonny checks all the boxes right away, and just in terms of the person, the football character, the intelligence. Everything you would want off the field…He’s 6-5, he runs a 4.4. He’s an incredible sideline-to-sideline defender. A guy who’s for today’s NFL.”
The Commanders immediately gain versatility and high athleticism with Sonny Styles. The former Buckeyes star fits Dan Quinn’s coaching scheme perfectly, as he can rush the passer and also operate as a big nickel linebacker. As a rookie, Styles would start alongside Frankie Luvu to strengthen a unit that struggled last year. On the field, Styles will now wear #52, a number that two-time Super Bowl champion Neal Olkewicz wore.
Sonny Styles impressed the Commanders’ GM even before becoming an OSU starter
Styles joined Ohio State in 2022 as a standout five-star recruit. His Super Bowl-winning father, Lorenzo Styles, guided his recruiting journey and helped Sonny commit to his alma mater. Joining Ohio State, the former OSU #6 played as a safety until Ryan Day decided to maximize his potential by moving him to the linebacker position. But little did Styles know, even before the switch in positions, he was impressing Adam Peters with his standout skills.
“When he was at an Ohio State game as a 49ers exec with an area scout, who simply said to him, ‘That’s Sonny Styles,’ as if everyone should know who he was,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recounted Adam Peters’ first glimpse of Styles’ brilliance. “Peters took a mental note of the tall, lanky, big-framed defender. That’s the sort of recruit Styles was, arriving at age 17 after graduating high school a year early, even at a school chock full of blue-chippers.”
During the pre-draft process this year, the Commanders hosted Styles at least three times while Peters compiled a list of his connections to get reviews of Styles. Those connections also included OSU’s DC, Matt Patricia, with whom Peters worked at the Patriots from 2004 to 2008. Since Patricia ran a pro-style defense, drafting Styles was a no-brainer.
