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The Commanders are going to have to reach an injury settlement with cornerback Marshon Lattimore
After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Washington Commanders are set to undergo some serious changes this offseason. To an extent, we’ve already seen that happen with head coach Dan Quinn‘s staff, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as the roster is expected to look quite different when the Commanders return to action next season.
Last week, reports emerged indicating that Washington is expected to release veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore ahead of the new league year getting underway in March. However, this move simply isn’t as straightforward as that, as the Commanders will have to reach an injury settlement with Lattimore if they intend on parting ways with him.
Commanders Must Reach Injury Settlement with Marshon Lattimore
Lattimore broke into the pros as the No. 11 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft with the New Orleans Saints. He spent the first seven-and-a-half years of his career with the Saints, earning four Pro Bowl selections and the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, before he got traded to the Commanders in 2024.
Ever since arriving in Washington, though, Lattimore has been a dud. He’s played in just 11 games thanks to a slew of injuries, and even when he’s been on the field, he has not been playing at the sort of level the Commanders were hoping to see from him. As a result, the team is widely expected to move on from him this offseason.
The problem is that Lattimore suffered a torn ACL last season, which ended his campaign. As a result, Washington’s front office cannot simply release Lattimore, even though doing so would save the team $18.5 million in cap space. Instead, as David Harrison of Locked on Commanders noted, the team would have to reach an injury settlement with the veteran cornerback if it intends to move on from him.
“Because Marshon Lattimore is injured, the Washington Commanders cannot just release him,” Harrison said. “If they just simply release him, then what they’d run the risk of is Marshon Lattimore and his agent filing a grievance against the Washington Commanders, because teams are not allowed to just simply release an injured player … What’s going to happen is an injury settlement. That has to be negotiated.”
Commanders Have Until Mar. 15 to Reach Injury Settlement with Marshon Lattimore
GettyWashington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Assuming the two sides can hammer out a settlement, the Commanders should still be able to save quite a bit of money against the salary cap by moving on from Lattimore. Considering how the team gave up three draft picks to acquire him from the Saints, it’s safe to say that the deal did not pan out as expected for Washington, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.
The Commanders have until Mar. 15 to reach an injury settlement with Lattimore, giving them ample time to find some common ground with the four-time Pro Bowler. Once he’s gone, though, Washington is going to have to find a way to bring in a proper replacement at the cornerback position, which is going to be easier said than done, even though Lattimore has struggled during his time with the Commanders.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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