Getty Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin.
The Washington Commanders are going to have to get help from unexpected places if they expect to turn things around in 2024.
One of those key contributors that fans and the team might not have expected could be second-year safety Quan Martin, who is coming off a solid rookie season and had as good of a minicamp as anyone on the Commanders.
The Washington Post’s Sam Fortier singled out Martin when asked about who stood out at the Commanders’ minicamp during an appearance on the Locked on Commanders podcast.
“I thought to myself, ‘Ok, if we’re talking safeties, they have three young ones in Percy Butler, (Darrick Forrest), and Quan, and I think Quan is very clearly the leader in the clubhouse there to have a significant role,” Fortier said. “I just think that he’s going to be a guy they move around and I think he’s going to cause some havoc.”
Martin would truly be a surprise if he were to crack the starting lineup — or even the two-deep — he’s currently listed as the backup nickelback to rookie Mike Sainristil on OurLads.com and not in either of the safety spots.
Experience at Cornerback and Safety in College
Martin, 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, was a three-year starter at cornerback for Illinois before moving to safety in 2021 and using his fifth year of eligibility granted due to the pandemic to have his best season in 2022, with 64 tackles, 3 interceptions, 11 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the 2023 NFL combine, where he also registered a mind-boggling 44-inch vertical leap. The Commanders drafted him in the second round (No. 47 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft and signed him to a 4-year, $7.63 million contract.
“Versatile cornerback/safety prospect with the size and physical talent to play nickel back or align as a deep safety,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation of Martin. “A buttery smooth hip swivel allows him to glide and transition effectively from his pedal, but he has just average route recognition to stay connected to clever route runners. Martin’s speed and explosiveness at the NFL Scouting Combine was eye-catching, but he needs to play consistently to that speed on the field. A team will need to decide where to play him, but he has the potential to become an early contributor and a starter further down the road.”
Martin Showed Promise as Rookie in 2023
Martin performed well in 2023 for the Commanders as the team struggled to a 4-13 record, playing in 16 games with 5 starts. He also had 46 tackles, 1 sack and 4 pass deflections and tied with cornerback Kendall Fuller for the team lead with 2 interceptions.
Darrick Forrest only played 5 games in 2023 after playing in all 17 games with 11 starts, 88 tackles, 4 interceptions and 9 pass deflections in 2022 and is slotted to start at free safety in 2024. Percy Butler is currently the backup at free safety after starting 13 games in 2023.
Jeremy Chinn signed a 1-year, $4.1 million deal with the Commanders in March 2024 after four season with the Carolina Panthers and should start at strong safety — he also had over 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons with the Panthers.