When Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters made the move to bring Marshon Lattimore in at last year's trade deadline, the expectation was for him to hit the ground running.
No matter if the pass rush hit home or not, Lattimore was expected to shut down the opposition's top weapons, week in and week out. No questions asked.
Instead, every capable offense has exposed the cracks. If it continues much longer, the Commanders may have no choice but to turn to the duo of rookie Trey Amos and second-year slot-to-outside convert Mike Sainristil as their most reliable corner tandem — a sentence that's been thought about during the spring and summer months if the veteran were unable to show up.
Two games in, and here we are.
Commanders simply can't trust Marshon Lattimore to cover explosive WRs
The move made sense on paper. Washington was attempting to solidify a defense that had some ballplayers within the front seven but needed stability on the backend. A four-time Pro Bowler with the pedigree to lock down No. 1 receivers, Lattimore was looked upon to fit seamlessly into a veteran-laden group.
On the surface, it looked like a win-now swing for a franchise desperate to build credibility under new ownership and a retooled front office. The Commanders were also relishing in the window for success with Jayden Daniels under center.
But trades aren’t made for what a player did three or four years ago. They’re made for what he can still give you in the moments that matter.
What Washington has gotten from Lattimore is a player who looks like a shell of his former self. Dare I say, almost in the Michael Davis type of bucket now, another failed corner addition from Peters before last season.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January, Lattimore wasn’t just beaten by Mike Evans — he was humiliated to the point that the coaching staff had no choice but to pull him in the first half of a playoff game. For a corner brought in to be the solution, that moment should have been the wake-up call.
Instead, it’s been the trend.
Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers was the latest indictment. Jordan Love and the offense didn’t just test Lattimore; they attacked him as if he were the obvious weak spot. And why wouldn’t they?
Every route seemed to invite a grab, every contested ball ended with Lattimore’s hands on a jersey, and every flag drove Washington deeper into frustration.
It’s one thing to lose a battle against an elite receiver. It’s another to be so consistently sloppy and desperate that the referees practically know they’re throwing a flag your way before the snap.
That’s where Lattimore is right now. He’s not dictating terms as a CB1 — he’s clinging, reaching, hoping. It's not what the Commanders mortgaged part of their future for.
Washington didn’t need another average corner. They didn’t need a matchup-specific role player. They needed someone who could travel with the team’s best receiver, take away half the field, and allow the defense to play with confidence even when the front four failed to collapse the pocket.
That’s what a true CB1 does. Look at Patrick Surtain Jr or Sauce Gardner; their success in coverage doesn't have to directly correlate with how much pressure the front creates. They line up opposite the man in front of them, and they erase them from the progression.
That's what the elites do; it's what the Commanders thought Lattimore could do. But as the weeks churn on, the only person smiling who was involved with the deal is New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
Commanders should consider reducing Marshon Lattimore's influence
Right now, Lattimore is close to unplayable against any offense with legitimate weapons. You can’t scheme around a corner that’s both losing on the route and giving the officials excuses to throw laundry. And if he’s not taking away opposing WR1s, then what exactly is he giving you beyond a recognizable name?
While it's understandable that he can't be perfect in coverage, and Green Bay even did a nice job of deploying pre-snap motion away from Lattimore at times, there's no room for excuses with his expectations and experience.
Here’s the irony: the Commanders might already have the answers on their roster, just not where they expected them. Amos has already shown flashes — he’s sticky, technically sound, and willing to compete without the desperation grabs.
Then there’s Sainristil. The 2024 second-round pick came in as a slot specialist, the kind of player who thrives inside with quick feet and instincts. Yet when asked to expand outside responsibilities, he hasn’t looked overwhelmed. In fact, he’s looked like a player in a completely different class than Lattimore.
There’s always a temptation with veterans to believe the tide will turn. That the résumé matters. That the guy you saw making Pro Bowls and shutting down elite receivers still exists in there somewhere.
Washington seems stuck in that mode with Lattimore, giving him chance after chance, waiting for him to flip the switch.
But every snap he stays on the field is a chance for opposing offenses to keep targeting him. Every week the leash stays this long, Washington risks torpedoing defensive drives. Not because the pass rush didn’t get home, but because the corner they trusted to hold up simply can’t anymore.
At this point, it's not about patience. It’s about accountability. And right now, the Commanders are being far too lenient with a player who’s provided nothing close to CB1 play.
Here’s the reality check: How much longer can the Commanders justify trotting Lattimore out there as their top corner?
The answer is on tape right now — it can’t be much longer. A team that prides itself on building toughness and setting a new culture under new leadership can’t continue to let a supposed cornerstone piece undermine the very identity it’s trying to craft.
If Amos and Sainristil are playing better, then play them. If Lattimore can only survive in certain packages or against specific matchups, then reduce his role. At some point, the nameplate on the back of the jersey can’t matter more than the results on the field.
Bottom line, Washington’s patience must be wearing thin with the nine-year pro. If team brass is serious about lifting the franchise's third Super Bowl, it can’t afford to wait for a turnaround that may never come.
The reality staring everyone in the face is harsh but unavoidable: the cornerback tandem that gives Washington its best chance right now isn’t the one they traded for at the deadline last year. It’s the rookie and the second-year guy — Amos and Sainristil.
If the Commanders are unwilling to see that, they’ll keep paying the price every time an offense circles No. 2 and goes hunting.