Commanders' fate rests on Marshon Lattimore’s health after George Pickens trade

The Dallas Cowboys caused a stir by trading for wide receiver George Pickens. This puts the onus squarely on Marshon Lattimore to make the improvements needed to nullify this new threat within the NFC East.

Washington's first major aggressive move of the Adam Peters era saw the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback arrive via trade from the New Orleans Saints before the 2024 deadline. This represented a significant statement of intent that the Commanders meant business after decades in the NFL wilderness. Unfortunately, Lattimore didn't provide an immediate return on this investment.

It wasn't the smoothest transition for Lattimore. The former first-round pick came into the Commanders with a hamstring injury that put him on the shelf for all but two regular-season games following the switch. Even when he was on the field, especially in the playoffs, the player never looked 100 percent healthy. And for arguably the first time in his professional career, he was often targeted as a weak link when matched up against the likes of Mike Evans and A.J. Brown.

Commanders need more from CB Marshon Lattimore in 2025

There were some positives. Lattimore was outstanding versus his old team. His performance against the Detroit Lions in the divisional round also came in for significant praise. However, the Commanders will be expecting more next time around.

Speculation rose this offseason about whether Lattimore's time in Washington would be short-lived. Peters shut down these rumors quickly, proclaiming the Ohio State graduate as a big part of the team's plans. The general manager is confident that with a full offseason to get healthy and immerse himself in Washington's defensive scheme, he'll return to his old self.

That's exactly what'll be needed if the Commanders want to go deep into the postseason again. The Cowboys' acquisition of Pickens adds another explosive — albeit volatile — pass-catcher into the division. Washington's cornerback unit got upgraded this offseason with Jonathan Jones and second-round pick Trey Amos. However, their fate rests almost squarely on Lattimore's health.

Hopefully, he'll get a good run of luck on the injury front. Lattimore should be highly motivated to silence his doubters. He's not the sort of character to back down from a challenge, and it's sure to be fiery whenever he's lined up versus Pickens.

This isn't going to drastically shift the landscape, or at least it shouldn't. The Commanders have five capable, starting-caliber cornerbacks to depend upon in 2025. Looking at the receivers within the NFC East, none are more important than Lattimore.

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