ASHBURN — After Friday’s preseason win over the Cleveland Browns, Quan Martin saw his name trending on social media. The messages directed toward the Washington Commanders rookie safety were far from positive, and so Martin decided to have some fun. The 23-year-old began hitting the like button for practically every comment that criticized him.
Don’t understand why we drafted Quan Martin over an o-lineman. Like.
Quan Martin looking like food out there. Like.
Quan Martin has definitely been disappointing so far #HTTC. Like.
The list was so long that one user noticed the liking spree and posted a screen recording that lasted a full 12 seconds to sift through all the likes.
But hey, a little motivation never hurt anybody, right?
“More fuel to the fire for me, honestly,” Martin said with a smile.
Martin said the likes were his way to acknowledge the comments without “saying too much” in return. The rookie said he wasn’t going to let the posts bother him, though added they demonstrated there are “more people I got to prove something to.”
As much as Martin may have disagreed with the remarks, the safety said there was “definitely room for improvement” in what was his first unofficial NFL game. Against the Browns, the second-rounder allowed four catches for 34 yards — including a 7-yard reception that resulted in a touchdown. Martin’s miscues also included two penalties, a defensive hold that was declined and another pass interference penalty that gave the Browns a new set of downs.
Coach Ron Rivera said he saw a rookie who was “hyped up,” which led to Martin playing “probably a little too fast” in his debut.
“He was very competitive, maybe overly aggressive a little bit,” Rivera said. “But he’s a guy I think that’s going to continue to grow … and the more he learns, and more comfortable he gets within the scheme, you’ll see more opportunities for him rise up.”
Once the season starts, Martin’s role initially could be more limited than many projected when the Commanders selected him 47th overall out of Illinois. Martin was thought to be a 1-to-1 replacement for veteran Bobby McCain, who was released by the Commanders in February to save $2.3 million. In the predraft process, Martin impressed Washington’s executives with his on-field versatility and he was penciled in as a safety who could also become the Commanders’ primary slot cornerback (a role filled last season by McCain).
But in training camp, Martin has faced steep competition in Washington’s secondary. The 23-year-old has played a variety of roles — but with the backups. Among the starters, the Commanders have relied on cornerback Benjamin St-Juste to be in the slot and when they go to their signature three-safety looks, second-year safety Percy Butler often joins the unit.
Martin appeared to take more snaps with the starters in the spring, but there was a key distinction: Starter Kam Curl was sitting out of team drills then because of his contract situation. Now that camp has started, Curl has resumed his normal spot and Martin has become his primary backup.
“Most people don’t know everything they’ve asked (Martin) to do,” safety Jeremy Reaves said, later adding, “Not everybody can do that. It takes a certain type of player mentally, to be able to come in and learn four or five different spots on the back end. They don’t ask a lot of people to do that. He can do that, so it just says a lot about who he is as a player.”
Reaves, a six-year veteran who was named an All-Pro special-teamer last season, has tried to guide the rookie. After Martin’s social media likes came to light, Reaves jumped to his teammates’ defense by tweeting “some of y’all talking crazy.” Separately, the safety also gave Martin some advice: Don’t take the comments seriously. Reaves said he told him that everyone wants instant results, but you have to be patient.
Reaves can speak from experience. Beyond his winding journey in the NFL — from an undrafted safety annually fighting for a roster spot to an All-Pro — Reaves recalled the level of vitriol he received on social media after a loss to the Carolina Panthers in 2020. “I was the worst player in the world apparently,” he laughed.
Martin appreciated the advice. He said Reaves and other veterans have tried to make sure he’s “level-headed” and keep him focused.
Don’t mind him, though, if he keeps it light.
“It’s all motivation, at the end of the day,” Martin said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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