There’s a case to be made for speaking the unspoken, and for the Washington Commanders, that means addressing what could be one of the worst NFL contracts in 2025.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report called out veteran cornerback as the “Most Overpaid Player” on the Commanders’ roster for 2025. The 4-time Pro Bowler is set to earn $18 million in 2025 and $36.5 million over the final two years of his 5-year, $97.6 million extension with the New Orleans Saints, signed in September 2021.
The Commanders were well aware of Lattimore’s high salary when they traded for him from the Saints last season.
“Lattimore didn’t regain his form in a new environment at the end of 2024, and it’s unlikely he will, as he hasn’t been a consistent NFL player since 2021,” Gagnon noted. “The 28-year-old’s best years are behind him, yet he’ll cost Washington $18 million in 2025, making him the eighth-highest-paid cornerback in the league.”
Lattimore appeared in only 2 of 8 regular-season games after the trade but was on the roster for all 3 of Washington’s postseason games, including the team’s first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.
As the Commanders head into 2025 as strong Super Bowl contenders, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn must decide if Lattimore’s hefty contract is worth the investment.
Lattimore Could Still Be Salary Cap Casualty
On paper, releasing Lattimore and freeing up the full $18 million in salary cap space makes sense — money that could potentially secure a solid cornerback or safety from what’s left in free agency or the draft.
However, the optics of trading for a player with two years remaining on his contract, only to cut him at the earliest opportunity, don’t look good. Washington needs to position itself as a desirable free agent destination for the long term, and negative word-of-mouth within NFL circles is definitely something to avoid.
According to Bleacher Report: “It wouldn’t reflect well on the Commanders to release Marshon Lattimore. They traded a third-, fourth-, and sixth-round pick for him and a fifth ahead of this year’s trade deadline. Cutting him in the offseason wouldn’t be a great look… If they lack confidence in his ability to stay healthy and perform at a high level, they could release him and clear the full $18 million cap hit.”
A better option might be to negotiate with Lattimore to restructure the remaining money on his contract. This could involve either voiding the final year and paying him the entire $18 million this year or restructuring the deal so that only $20 million is owed over the next two seasons.
Commanders Seem on Losing End of Trade
To acquire Lattimore from the Saints, the Commanders gave up three picks in the 2025 draft — their third, fourth, and sixth-round selections. For a team that owes much of its success this season to its performance in the 2024 draft, parting with those picks is a tough pill to swallow.
The Commanders made significant strides in building their roster and shaping their future through the 2024 NFL Draft.
The standout of the class 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) also played crucial roles as key contributors.
