Before the 2025 season began, most fans and analysts believed that the Washington Commanders' cornerback unit was going to be among the team's biggest strengths. This was primarily down to four-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore making a full recovery from his lingering hamstring problem.
It's still early days, but it's going to be a long road ahead for the corners and Lattimore to meet these expectations.
If anything, the cornerback group has become a weak link. They are getting almost no consistent help from the safeties, and it's showing. Jonathan Jones and Will Harris are on injured reserve. Mike Sainristil hasn't hit his phenomenal rookie heights, and second-round pick Trey Amos is going through some expected first-year growing pains.
As for Lattimore? He's the crumbling Commanders cornerstone who is vanishing at the worst possible time.
Marshon Lattimore needs to figue things out quickly to cement Commanders future
Arguably, for the first time in his prolific career, there is a blueprint on how to get the better of Lattimore. Pre-snap motions and speed are causing him untold problems. The explosiveness that made him one of the league's best has dwindled. Technical flaws when he gets beaten are an ongoing frustration.
Head coach Dan Quinn didn't sound too concerned when discussing Lattimore's inconsistencies at the quarter point. That's not an opinion shared by some fans, who are starting to wonder if general manager Adam Peters made the right call by bringing him on board before the 2024 trade deadline.
The former Ohio State standout has flashed tremendous promise, most notably against New York Giants wideout Malik Nabers in Week 1. Lattimore still has lockdown capabilities within. It's putting together a strong run of performances that remains challenging.
Lattimore's resolve and belief haven't wavered. He's confident that his performances will improve. He's got faith in his teammates on defense to dust themselves off and get back on track. But for fans, talk is cheap.
They want to see a bigger return on Peters' significant investment. Lattimore was expected to be a massive piece of the puzzle as the man who signified the Commanders' return to contention after decades in the proverbial wilderness. Aside from a couple of notable displays, it has been largely underwhelming.
The Commanders are dealing with some injury troubles, which only raises the stakes even more for Lattimore. Securing a new contract ahead of time next spring is currently out of the question. If his indifferent efforts go on throughout the season, Peters could even release or trade the defensive back when the time is right.
What comes next is down to Lattimore. All hope is not lost just yet, but it's not hard to see why his outlook is more precarious than ever.