Commanders to release CB Marshon Lattimore, saving $18.5M.

  • March 2, 2026

  • Reported by John KeimMarch 2, 2026, 1:54 PM ET

    Close

      John Keim is the ESPN reporter covering the Washington Commanders. He joined ESPN in 2013, following a period with the Washington Post. His coverage of the team started in 1994, initially for the Journal Newspapers, then for the Washington Examiner. He is the author or co-author of four books. Listen to his insights on ‘The John Keim Report’, broadcast on ESPN Richmond radio.

Jointly authored

The Washington Commanders have notified cornerback Marshon Lattimore of his impending release prior to the commencement of the league year next week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a development widely anticipated after Lattimore sustained a season-ending injury in November.

The new league year is scheduled to commence at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. This decision will free up $18.5 million in salary cap resources for the Commanders, who presently hold the fifth-highest amount of available cap space. Washington is anticipated to pursue players aggressively in the free agency period, especially for the cornerback position, as indicated by league insiders.

Under contract, the team possesses two potential starting players: Trey Amos, who began as a starter during his rookie season last year before suffering a leg fracture in Week 10, and Mike Sainristil, a 2024 second-round draftee who has been a starter for the last two seasons.

Lattimore, age 29, experienced an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee during Week 9, leading him to miss the rest of the season. Up until that point, he had participated in every game.

Washington secured him from the New Orleans Saints during the 2024 trade deadline, sending three draft selections (a third, fourth, and sixth-round pick) to the Saints from last year’s draft, while receiving a fifth-round pick in return. However, he missed a total of eight games that season due to a hamstring ailment, with six of those occurring while with the Commanders. Nonetheless, he did participate in all three of Washington’s playoff matchups.

Chosen by New Orleans in the first round of the 2017 draft, Lattimore earned four Pro Bowl selections within his initial five seasons. Nevertheless, since 2021, he has been afflicted by various injuries—a kidney laceration and two broken ribs in ’22; an ankle issue in ’23, and the subsequent season’s hamstring problems. During this period, he has not appeared in more than 10 games in any single season.

Beyond his on-field activities, he was apprehended on January 7 in Lakewood, Ohio, facing charges related to the improper handling of a firearm within a vehicle.