Winning is relative in the NFL. What constitutes a disappointing season in one city means resounding success in another.
If you make the Super Bowl one season and lose in the Wild Card the next season, like the Philadelphia Eagles did in 2023, you get to spend the offseason looking over your shoulder. Everyone is disappointed. Everyone’s job is up for grabs.
On the other hand, if you feed a success-starved franchise a playoff appearance — even if it’s just the Wild Card — you’re heroes. Like what’s happened with the Washington Commanders in 2024.
That success can also serve to cover up mistakes. Egregious ones.
Because the Commanders are 11-5 and can move up to the No. 6 seed in the NFC Playoffs with a win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18, no one is talking about what’s turning out what’s shaping up to be one of the worst trades of the year after the team announced 4-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore would not play in the finale because of hamstring issues.
“Lattimore reinjured his left hamstring in his second game back with Washington, a 36-33 win over Philadelphia on Dec. 22,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on January 2. “He already had missed five games with the injury, including four after the team acquired him in a trade with New Orleans.”
It’s still not clear whether Lattimore will be ready to play in the postseason.
Price Paid for Lattimore Tough to Swallow
In order to acquire Lattimore from the Saints, the Commanders parted ways with 3 2025 draft picks in exchange for Lattimore and a 2025 fifth round pick, giving up their third, fourth and sixth round picks.
For a team that can credit a large chunk of its success this season to what it did in the 2024 draft, giving up those picks is hard to swallow.
In 2024, the Commanders found the building block to their entire franchise at No. 2 overall with quarterback Jayden Daniels, a pair of centerpiece defenders in defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton (No. 36 overall) and cornerback Mike Sainristil (No. 50 overall).
They also picked a player who could be their left offensive tackle of the future with Brandon Coleman in the third round (No. 67 overall) and has been a versatile piece of the offensive line as a rookie. There’s also a potential future starting tight end with Ben Sinnott in the second round (No. 53 overall) and a serviceable WR3 option with Luke McCaffrey in the third round (No. 100 overall).
The worst part for the Commanders? When Lattimore has been available, he’s been a shell of the player who signed a record-setting 5-year, $97.6 million contract extension with the Saints in 2021.
Lattimore’s Historically Bad Outing Vs. Eagles
It’s hard to comprehend the historically bad game Lattimore had in terms of penalties in an upset win over the Eagles in Week 16.
“Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore has been called for 3 defensive pass interference penalties in the third third quarter, making him 1 of 2 players to have DPIs in a single quarter in the last 25 seasons,” ESPN’s Field Yates wrote on his official X account on December 22.
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Commanders Gave Up Too Much in Trade for $97 Million Pro Bowl CB