There’s something to be said for saying the quite part out loud. In the case of the Washington Commanders that means addressing what could be one of the NFL’s worst contracts in 2025.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon called out veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore as the “Most Overpaid Player” on the Commanders’ roster in 2025. The 4-time Pro Bowler is scheduled to make $18 million in 2025 and $36.5 million over the final 2 seasons of the 5-year, $97.6 million contract extension he signed with the New Orleans Saints in September 2021.
Lattimore’s high number is something the Commanders were well aware of when they obtained him from the Saints at the trade deadline last season.
“(Lattimore) didn’t suddenly get it back in a new setting down the stretch in 2024, and that’s unlikely to change as he hasn’t really been a reliable NFL presence since 2021,” Gagnon wrote. “The 28-year-old’s best days are far behind him, but he will cost Washington $18 million as the eighth-highest-paid cornerback in the league in 2025.”
Lattimore only played in 2 of a possible 8 regular-season games after the trade, but was on the roster for all 3 of Washington’s postseason games on the way to the franchise’s first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.
With the Commanders entering 2025 as clear-cut Super Bowl contenders, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn need to figure out if Lattimore and his massive salary cap number are worth the squeeze.
Lattimore Could Still Be Salary Cap Casualty
On paper, it makes sense to release Lattimore and get back the entire $18 million in salary cap space — money that could probably get them a decent cornerback and safety out of what’s left of the free agent market or in the draft.
That being said, the optics of trading for a player with 2 years left on his deal then cutting him the first chance they have are not good. Washington needs to be a free agent destination for years to come. Getting bad word of mouth among NFL player circles is definitely not the move.
From Bleacher Report: “It wouldn’t necessarily be great process for the Commanders to cut Marshon Lattimore. They traded a third-, fourth- and sixth-round pick for Lattimore and a fifth ahead of this year’s trade deadline. Turning around and releasing him in the offseason wouldn’t be a great look … If they aren’t confident he can be healthy and play at a high level, then they could release him and free up the entire $18 million cap hit.”
The better solution might be to try and get Lattimore to restructure the remaining money on his contract and take a major shave — either void the final year of the contract and get paid the entire $18 million this year or restructure it so it’s just $20 million owed over the next 2 seasons.
Commanders Seem on Losing End of Trade
In order to acquire Lattimore from the Saints, the Commanders parted ways three picks in the 2025 draft with their third, fourth and sixth round picks. For a team that can credit a large chunk of its success this season to what it did in the 2024 draft, giving up those picks is hard to swallow.
The Commanders built big chunks of their roster — and future — in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Leading the way was No. 2 overall pick and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, while defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (No. 36 overall), cornerback Mike Sainristil (No. 50 overall) and offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (No. 67 overall) were all also key contributors.
