Ex-Saints Superstar Facing 'Make-Or-Break' 2025 Season

The New Orleans Saints traded away a star during the 2024 season.

New Orleans moved on from four-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore by trading him to the Washington Commanders. New Orleans drafted him with the No. 11 overall pick back in 2017 and he had been with the franchise ever since before the trade last season.

Lattimore's last Pro Bowl season came in 2021 and he hasn't had a fully healthy season since. In 2022, he played in seven games. In 2023, he played in 10 games. Last year, he appeared in just nine total games.

Lattimore is 29 years old and has star pedigree, but needs to prove he can stay healthy. Because of his, NFL.com's Nick Shook listed him among players facing a "make-or-break" season in 2025.

"This is about earning the final year of his contract," Shook said. "Lattimore moved to Washington as a coveted trade acquisition but struggled to find the same form with the Commanders, posting some truly dreadful Pro Football Focus grades in the postseason. There's reason to believe a full year with Dan Quinn will fix things, and Lattimore is under pressure to do so this fall because the Commanders can cut ties with zero financial penalty in 2026.

"However, Lattimore has not joined the team for the offseason program, per defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. At 29 years old, Lattimore could still earn decent money on a new deal, but the main goal is to prove himself as a trusted corner for a team that aims to build on its surprise run to the NFC Championship Game last season. If he does that, he'll be much easier to keep or at least consider for a contract restructure that's friendlier to the team's salary cap."

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