The Washington Commanders are hoping to have a successful offseason after a disastrous 2025 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs altogether. This occurred on the heels of the team's surprising trip to the 2024 NFC Championship Game, but injuries and overall regression hit the team hard this past year.
On Monday afternoon, a major roster move was announced regarding a key member of the team's defensive backfield.
“The #Commanders are currently expected to release cornerback Marshon Lattimore,” reported Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports on X, formerly Twitter. “…The former first-round pick made nine starts for Washington this past season.”
Lattimore was sent to the Commanders from the New Orleans Saints midway through the 2024 season in a blockbuster trade, ultimately helping lead the team on their deep playoff run that year. Although he had some solid moments during his stint in Washington, Lattimore was largely unable to replicate the Pro Bowl-level production he had sustained in New Orleans, which made a divorce feel more or less inevitable at some point this offseason.
The release will save the Commanders some money in the short term, but it also opens up a gaping hole in their defensive backfield, one that the team will have to work to fill either in free agency or the draft.
Meanwhile, the 29 year-old Lattimore will likely have some suitors on the free agent market now that he is unsigned.
In any case, the NFL free agency period is set to open up on March 11, while the draft will take place in late April.
