The Washington Commanders entered the 2025 season with high hopes and a revamped roster. They made perceived upgrades at several key positions and were riding high after making the NFC Championship game.
One of those positions was cornerback. Marshon Lattimore, Trey Amos, and Mike Sainristil looked to form one of the league's stronger defensive backfields, with Jonathan Jones and Noah Igbinoghene providing quality depth.
Instead, the unit has been a glaring weakness for the Commanders, who have begun their season with a mediocre 2-2 record. There's still plenty of time for Washington to measure up to its lofty expectations, but the cornerbacks will have to turn it around quickly.
Commanders cornerbacks need to raise performance levels if the team wants playoff football again
At the start of the year, there was plenty of reason for optimism surrounding Washington's corner unit. Sainristil had a strong rookie season in which he came into his own down the stretch. Lattimore was acquired at the trade deadline, but was limited to only two regular-season games by a hamstring injury. The hope was that a full offseason to recover and learn the playbook would allow him to be his best self in 2025.
The worst-case scenario has played out thus far for both players. Sainristil is off to a rough start, though he did come up with Washington's first takeaway of the year with a Week 4 interception. Lattimore looks like a shell of his four-time Pro Bowl self. He has been targeted in pass coverage and consistently struggled to keep up with faster receivers. Penalties have also been an issue for the Ohio State product.
Jones was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury after Week 2, with no timetable for his return. Amos has flashed some potential, but even his campaign has understandably had its ups and downs. It's not ideal when a second-round rookie who is still adjusting to the NFL is arguably your best cornerback.
The safety unit has also been a disappointment, which hasn't exactly helped the cornerback group. Quan Martin has been underwhelming, and free agent acquisition Will Harris suffered a fractured fibula after a promising start. Special teams ace Jeremy Reaves has had to step in to play significant defensive reps, and it turns out there's a reason he usually doesn't see the field in that role.
Simply put, the defensive backfield needs to be better. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels' return after missing the last two weeks will be the most essential ingredient towards getting right, but he can only play one side of the field.