The Washington Commanders are one of a handful of teams that have a decent amount of cap space to work with this offseason. The Athletic recently named one player from each team who could be a cap casualty in 2026, and for the Commanders, it's not so much a cap casualty as it is a player who needs to go. Their cap casualty pick for the Commanders, unsurprisingly, was veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Cap casualty, veteran cut, unsurprising cut — use whatever label you want, but Lattimore’s time with the Commanders is almost certainly done. He has one year left on his deal, but his $16.5 million salary isn’t guaranteed, which means the team can move on and save $18.5 million in cap space. It’s a layup, and frankly it’s necessary for the defense to improve. But the failed experiment was costly. Washington gave up essentially three draft picks (the Commanders also swapped fifth-rounders) to acquire Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints at the 2024 trading deadline. The Commanders’ attempt to rebuild, at the time, seemed to be on a faster track than anticipated. But Lattimore was often more of a liability than an asset to Washington’s secondary, and the team proved last season that it’s clearly far from contending anytime soon.
Lattimore joined the Commanders in the middle of the 2024 season when general manager Adam Peters traded away multiple Commanders' draft picks to bring the veteran to Washington. The secondary needed some help, and it still does because Lattimore hasn't panned out as expected. He was hampered by a hamstring injury that delayed his Commanders' debut, and only played nine games in 2025 due to a torn ACL.
In all, Lattimore has played in 11 games for the Commanders, recording 31 tackles (19 solo), one tackle for a loss, one fumble recovery, 10 passes defensed, and one interception. On top of his production struggles, Lattimore's off-field issues haven't helped his cause. Even before his recent arrest, Lattimore was unlikely to return in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Marshon Lattimore named potential cap casualty