Feb. 20, 2026, 12:06 p.m. CT
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore had a magnificent career with the New Orleans Saints from 2017 to 2024. The Saints traded Lattimore to the Washington Commanders on Nov. 5, 2024, parting with one of the best defensive players in franchise history. On Thursday, it was reported that Washington will release Lattimore after less than two seasons. The move will save Washington $18.5 million in salary cap space and make Lattimore a free agent. It also makes clearer who got the best of the trade between Washington and New Orleans.
Washington traded three draft picks for Lattimore to fortify a defense in hopes of a championship run. The Commanders finished 12-5 in 2024, upsetting the Detroit Lions while advancing to the NFC Championship game. A hamstring injury limited Lattimore to only two regular season games after the trade, but he did play in all three playoff games.
During the two 2024 regular season games, Lattimore allowed only 50% completion percentage and 6.8 yards per attempt. In the playoffs, that completion percentage skyrocketed to 71% with 15.4 yards per completion with only one pass broken up. Lattimore continued those struggles through the 2025 campaign. He appeared in just nine contests, giving up a respectable 59.5% completion percentage with an interception and 7 pass breakups but over 14 yards per reception.
In exchange for Lattimore and a fifth round draft pick, the Saints received third, fourth, and sixth round choices in the 2025 NFL draft. With those picks, the Saints selected Virginia safety Jonas Sanker, Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley, and Kansas running back Devin Neal. All three made impacts as rookies, but especially the two defensive choices. Sanker stepped into a starting safety role and had 2 interceptions with 6 passes broken up, a fumble recovery, and 3 tackles for loss among 80 total stops. Riley didn’t see much action through the first quarter of the year, but stepped in to solidify the cornerback spot. He had 1 interception with 10 pass breakups and allowed a 59.6% completion percentage when targeted. Both were significant contributors to a New Orleans defense that ranked 4th against the pass, while Washington ranked 28th in that category. Neal also made some positive contributions in the Saints backfield before going down with injury.
Marshon Lattimore is the best cornerback in New Orleans franchise history. He won the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year and was one of the top corners in the NFL for five seasons through 2021, earning four Pro Bowls and routinely shutting down top receivers. Starting in 2022, however, Lattimore’s durability and effectiveness started to wane. In his last three years with the Saints, he’d miss 20 of 44 games with injuries and showed a noticeable decline. New Orleans parted with him at the right time, as Washington found out, and the Saints are a better team for making the trade.
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