Marshon Lattimore, a recently acquired cornerback, will not be rushed into action by the Washington Commanders. He is in Washington to play in the last games as they attempt to qualify for the playoffs, so it would defeat the purpose of bringing him over from the New Orleans Saints in the first place.
It seems increasingly likely that Week 11 will not include a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Prior to practice on November 12, Quinn informed the media, “With him, really, it’s the speed part that we have to see to make sure he can really do his thing.” However, this man is intelligent. Because he has played a lot of football, his ability to convey that technique is now known as this. He was able to recognize that right away.
Due to a hamstring injury, Lattimore did not practice on Tuesday and is expected to miss his third straight game since his last game with the Saints in Week 9. In Week 10, he was also absent from the Commanders’ 28-27 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk stated on November 12 that Lattimore would likely miss a third consecutive week of action due to Washington’s matchup versus the Eagles on Thursday. “Playing on Thursday may be the most practical date for Lattimore’s debut because it gives him a little more time to recover before Week 12.”
Lattimore is required by commanders at the All-Pro level.
Since the Saints selected him with the 11th overall choice in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Lattimore has established himself as one of the league’s best cornerbacks.
With a career-high five interceptions in just 13 games, he earned his first Pro Bowl appearance and was voted NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. With 15 career interceptions in his first seven seasons, it was the first of Lattimore’s four Pro Bowl selections.
With a massive five-year contract extension worth $97.6 million that goes through 2026, Lattimore cashed in in September 2021.
Lattimore has struggled with injuries in recent years. In 2022, he missed 10 games due to a kidney laceration, and he missed 7 games due to an ankle ailment.
Commanders Don’t Have Elite CB on Roster If Latimore doesn’t play well, his tenure with the Commanders may not last long. His contract expires in 2025, but he may be able to negotiate a lucrative new contract with a team that will have more than $100 million in salary cap space the following season.
There are no elite CBs on the roster of commanders.
Following the Commanders’ selection of Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft, that money is essentially up for grabs at this point to the best player available.
Forbes is one of the NFL’s worst cornerbacks over the last two seasons and hasn’t proven to be a dependable backup or even a full-time starter. If the Commanders are lucky, they will find a team willing to trade a third-day pick for him during the summer.
If the Commanders want to make long-term gains at cornerback, they might be better off waiting for a fantastic class of free agents in 2025, which includes Rasul Douglas, Charvarius Ward, Mike Hilton, and D.J. Reed.
