Marshon Lattimore is confident that he can still be the player the Washington Commanders traded for – not the one he was last year.
“I just wanted to prove that [the Commanders] made the right decision,” Lattimore told reporters following Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp session.
Lattimore arrived in D.C. with a hamstring ailment that kept him out until Week 15, 40 days after the trade was announced. In five games in a Commanders uniform, he recorded a career-low in Pro Football Focus’ average coverage grade, gave up 48 receiving yards per game and two touchdowns, and did not record an interception.
As Washington’s eyes remain trained on a Super Bowl appearance, the once-lockdown Lattimore knows that the fate of his team’s season, and his career, rests on his performances.
Lattimore showed up in Ashburn, Virginia earlier this week after skipping OTAs. He said that most of his offseason was geared toward building back his fast-twitch without using strenuous free weights.
“I feel way better than last year,” he said. “I feel explosive.”
Commanders fans’ introduction to their new corner did not go as they’d hoped. He wasn’t targeted in his team debut against the New Orleans Saints, his former squad, but had no answers for A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles the following week.
Lattimore gave up 68 yards and a touchdown through the air and was flagged for three pass interference penalties, which resulted in another 68 yards and a 109.7 passer rating when targeted, per Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells.
He was also dominated by his longtime foe, Mike Evans, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card, during which he gave up 84 yards and a touchdown.
He played well against the Detroit Lions but finished his season giving up four catches for 88 yards to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
The Commanders were only 20th in EPA allowed per dropback (.103) and in desperate need of secondary reinforcements when they pulled the trigger on the trade. That did not change their fortunes, and they ballooned to 21st (.174) from Lattimore’s debut through the conference championship.
As a four-time Pro Bowler, he knows he can be better.
“I felt a little timid, not mentally but I could tell watching my game film by the way I was stepping,” Lattimore said. “I looked timid in my game.”
Although the year did not go as planned, it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
Lattimore felt he owed it to the Commanders organization and fanbase to get onto the field as quickly as he could.
“I wanted to prove they made the right decision,” he said. “I wanted to show what I could do. I was hurt, but I don’t want to make excuses. I was out there. If I was good enough to play, I can be evaluated on that. I just want to get out there this year to show what I could do.”
The 29-year-old has two years remaining on his contract. He’ll count for $18 million against the cap in 2025 and $18.5 million in 2026.
He already received all $58.1 million that was guaranteed by the five-year, $97.6 million deal he signed in 2021.
In the event that this season goes poorly, the Commanders would only take a $2 million hit against the cap if they cut or traded him this year. They could cut or trade him for no penalty against the 2026 cap up to June 1, 2026.
Fortunately, the Commanders aren’t counting on Lattimore to save their season this time. He was offered support in the form of Trey Amos, a rookie second-round selection who has reportedly impressed coaches at camp.
They also have second-year corner Mike Sainristill, who is expected to move back to his preferred position in the slot. Sainristil had an impressive rookie campaign despite playing outside corner for the first time in his career.
“[Amos is] just this type of player that fits what [Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.] really wants to do — get up there and press, physical, good length, obviously really good speed, really good athlete, can bend,” Commanders defensive backs coach Tommy Donatell said during OTAs. “We really like what we’re seeing so far, early on, and he’s a smart player too.”
Amos, who measured 6-1, 190 pounds, made stops at Louisiana, Alabama, and Ole Miss during his five-year college career. He had 50 tackles, 13 pass deflections, three interceptions, and a forced fumble during his final year at Ole Miss.
General manager Adam Peters said that he was prepared to take Amos with his first-round pick, which was ultimately used on Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
“His technique is there,” Lattimore said of Amos. “From right now what I see as far as his technique, he looks complete. He’s a rookie, and it’s early, but throughout the season, I feel like he’s going to keep it up and get better as the season goes [on], and I’m excited to see how he turns out.”
The Commanders’ secondary will face a gauntlet of elite receivers this season, including two matchups with the Eagles’ Brown, Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and New York Giants’ Malik Nabers. They also have single-game showdowns against the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, among others.
While many aspects of the Commanders’ season need to go right for them to get back into championship contention, Lattimore returning to the dominant player he was could be what puts his team over the top.
