And, unfortunately, Commanders GM Adam Peters will have to face this reality in the next few weeks as he ultimately releases veteran Cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

What was once lauded as an aggressive and forward-thinking move proved to be a major setback for Washington. Lattimore was acquired in a mid-season trade in 2024 when the Commanders were a shocking 7–2 and sitting atop the NFC East. At the time, they looked way ahead of schedule in their rebuild, and adding a "shutdown" corner felt like the final piece of a playoff puzzle.

Fast forward to today, and you’ll see the cold truth: Lattimore played in only 11 of a possible 25 games in Washington over the last two seasons, and when he did play, he didn’t play well.

PFF has Marshon Lattimore rated as the 96th overall cornerback in the NFL—a dismal 52.1 overall grade. For context, during his time in New Orleans, Lattimore rarely dipped below a 70.0 grade, but in DC, his production plummeted. His 18 receptions allowed this past season rank near the bottom of the league for all qualifying cornerbacks. Considering that his contract allows for zero dead money and $18.5M of salary cap freedom, his release over the next few weeks isn't just likely; it’s a foregone conclusion.

Before we look ahead, we must look back on who Lattimore was and how he arrived in DC. Drafted in 2017, Lattimore was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a total rising star. Over his first five seasons, he reached the Pro Bowl four times and generated 18 turnovers (13 interceptions and five forced fumbles).

But then 2022 happened. In Week 5, Lattimore suffered a lacerated kidney and broke his ribs in a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, severely derailing his career. This led to a domino effect of injuries where he missed 25 games over a three-year span: 10 games missed in 2022 (kidney/ribs), seven games missed in 2023 (ankle), and eight games in 2024 due to a nagging hamstring injury.

Despite this, Peters elected to take a chance on the aging vet. At the 2024 deadline, he sent over a 2025 3rd round pick, 4th round pick, and 6th round pick to New Orleans.

The gamble sadly didn’t pay off. Lattimore struggled on the field and eventually suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season—ironically, against the Seahawks again. He ends his tenure here with 31 combined tackles, 10 passes defensed, and just a single interception (Week 8 vs. KC). A poor return of investment for three draft picks.  

As with most things in the NFL, things are complicated. For one, Lattimore ended the season on injured reserve and is currently rehabbing that ACL. Under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), releasing a player who is physically unable to perform can trigger “Injury Protection Benefits.” The team may be waiting on final medical evaluations before making a move to ensure they are in good standing with the league and the NFLPA, making sure they truly get that $18.5M in cap space back with zero dead money.

Furthermore, Lattimore was recently arrested in Lakewood, Ohio, on January 7, 2026. The charges included a felony for improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and a misdemeanor for carrying a concealed weapon. Typically, NFL teams stay in "purgatory" and gather information before making a cut, especially with felony charges involved. Lattimore had a hearing on February 6th, and the team may be waiting on the League Office to determine if any suspensions are coming down the pike before officially severing ties.

Finally, releasing Lattimore today would immediately relinquish any remaining trade leverage. While it is highly unlikely a suitor would absorb an $18.5 million contract for an aging corner coming off an ACL tear, there is zero advantage to cutting him before the clock runs out. The real "trigger date" is March 15th, the day he is scheduled to get a $2M roster bonus. Washington will almost certainly want to avoid that, so I’d expect Lattimore to be released right before then.

Washington heads into the 2026 season with massive uncertainty at cornerback. The current depth chart consists of Trey Amos, who is still working his way back to 100%, and Mikey Sainristil, who showed flashes but had an up-and-down sophomore year in the slot. Behind them is a collection of aging, mid-tier veterans like Noah Igbinoghene, Antonio Hamilton, and last year’s free agent pickup, Jonathan Jones. Let’s be real: that group isn't intimidating—especially in a division with A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, and Malik Nabers.

But here is the silver lining. By moving on from Lattimore, Adam Peters will likely walk into March with over $80 million in total cap space. That gives Washington the flexibility to be aggressive in a cornerback market that features young, ascending talent. The Commanders have been linked to high-upside free agents like Tariq Woolen and Jaylen Watson—the latter of whom is widely viewed as a perfect scheme fit for a defense looking to reduce the big plays that plagued them in 2025.

If Peters looks to the draft, he has options with the seventh overall pick. LSU’s Mansoor Delane is the name circulating in scouting circles. He is a technically sound, "safe" prospect who mirrored elite SEC receivers all last season. There is also Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, a twitchy ballhawk with massive upside, but he comes with the same red flag that sunk the Lattimore era: a recent ACL tear. Given how this gamble just played out, the front office might be hesitant to spend premium capital on another player with a significant medical history.

Regardless, the Lattimore experiment has run its course. It will go down as a cautionary tale of betting on a "known asset" with a checkered health record and rolling snake eyes. It’s time to take that $18.5M and finally build a secondary that can survive the NFC East.