Things looked incredibly bleak for fourth-year player Quan Martin heading into the season. But despite facing significant adversity, the Washington Commanders safety is starting to show signs of life.
The Commanders gave Martin another shot, even though his projected breakout campaign in 2025 fell flat. They could have easily gone in a different direction, but first-time defensive coordinator Daronte Jones believed he had the tools needed to bring more out of the Illinois product.
There is a long way to go, but the recent signs are immensely encouraging.
Quan Martin is repaying Commanders' faith with much-improved year
While he is still taking somewhat of a back seat to free-agent signing Nick Cross and locker-room leader Jeremy Reaves in the safety room, Martin has played 63 percent of defensive snaps this season. It's a sign of the faith being placed in him by Jones, and the 2023 second-round selection is responding positively to these demands.
Martin is on 43 tackles so far this year. He is a more commanding presence against the run, and everything seems to have slowed down for him after being way too hesitant last season.
More importantly, Martin is also doing a lot better in coverage.
The defensive back is giving up just 52.9 percent of targets thrown in his direction and a 79.8 passer rating when targeted this season. Considering those numbers were 72.9% of targets and a 154.5 passer rating last year, it shows just how much Martin has come on under Jones' expert guidance.
This stems from Martin's versatility and his positional sense. The Commanders aren't asking him to be a hero; they just want him to be more disciplined.
He's answered the call. If the trend continues, general manager Adam Peters will have a harder decision to make this offseason.
Commanders could extend Quan Martin if his strong efforts continue
Most fans had written off Martin and expected him to leave when his rookie contract expires in 2027.
Now, that is far from a done deal.
At the very least, Martin is forcing a different conversation. And just when it looked like all hope for his Washington future was fading rapidly, he's picked himself off the canvas and given himself a fighting chance to stick around beyond 2026.
Nobody, least of all Martin, should be getting ahead of themselves. Things can change quickly in the NFL, so complacency cannot become an issue after generating real momentum.
Martin took significant heat last season, and the Commanders eventually reduced his involvement. Some praise is now due, even though the defensive back's contribution is being largely overlooked.
These are all positive steps for Martin.
But what comes next matters more.
A strong end to the campaign would change everything for Martin. He's on the right track, and a new deal might not be too far behind if he keeps this up.
And after working so hard to bounce back, Martin will not be letting standards slip now.
Jones believed in Martin when almost everyone else wanted to go another way.
His faith is being repaid, and the Commanders are in a much better place as a result.
Add us as a preferred source on Google