‘You had me at hello’: Excited Commanders welcome new cornerback Marshon Lattimore to 7-2 squad

ASHBURN — Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn had a simple message when he learned that his squad added New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

“You had me at hello,” Quinn said before Wednesday’s practice, channeling his inner Jerry Maguire. “This was easy, to acquire a player of Marshon’s caliber, the toughness, the physicality. This is a player you want on your team.”

General manager Adam Peters sent a third-round selection, a fourth-rounder and a sixth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for Lattimore and a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft.

In Lattimore, the Commanders added a potential lockdown defender who can follow the opposition’s best receiver around the field. He’s used to those assignments in New Orleans, regularly following Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and former Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Julio Jones in twice-yearly divisional matchups.

The Ohio State product received several accolades for his work with the Saints, including a Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2017 and four Pro Bowl nominations in his first five seasons.

The last three seasons haven’t been as spectacular, though. Lattimore hasn’t appeared in the Pro Bowl since the 2021 season and recorded just one interception in each of the last two years as he missed several games with injuries.

Lattimore has been hampered by a hamstring injury this year, but he’s still flashed high-caliber play in seven games. NFL’s Next Gen Stats reported that the 28-year-old ranks third in the league among cornerbacks in yards allowed per snap this season.

“He fits in any defense. Whether we’re playing zone or man, whatever it is, he’s going to be able to do all that. He’s a really smart player; he’s a really instinctive player,” Peters said. “Those are all the things we’re looking for.”

Lattimore offers the possibility of immediate improvement in a Commanders secondary that has struggled throughout the season. Opposing offenses have picked on starting cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, who could shift down the depth chart in the future.

Quinn refused to confirm if rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil would shift back to his natural slot position or if the addition of Lattimore would allow the defense to experiment with different schemes.

“I’m not going to give away all my cards on the first day,” the first-year coach said jokingly. “But you’re definitely barking up the right tree.”

Lattimore didn’t practice Wednesday, but he met his new teammates at the Commanders’ Ashburn practice facility. He donned a burgundy and white jersey for the first time and watched from the sidelines as his teammates practiced without helmets and pads.

Peters and Quinn have not said whether the defensive back would play on Sunday. He missed last week’s game with his hamstring injury.

Lattimore couldn’t provide any insight into the injury, either.

“That’s up to the trainers,” he said. “The injury just happened, so I don’t even know what’s going on as far as timetables and getting back on the field.”

The move to Washington presents a stark change for Lattimore.

In New Orleans, he was part of a team that had fired coach Dennis Allen midseason and rode a seven-game losing streak into the trade deadline.

The 7-2 Commanders are different. After making a big splash at the trade deadline, Washington is one of the hottest teams in the league. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that players around the league asked for a trade to Washington over the weekend, eager for a chance to join rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the upstart squad.

“They got a good young quarterback; they got good things going on; well, we do; let me change that,” Lattimore said Wednesday, hours after introducing himself to his new coaching staff. “It’s a great situation for me. I’m excited for it.”

Fortunately for Lattimore, a handful of familiar faces will help him acclimate to his new surroundings. The lockdown defender was part of Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class, alongside Commanders receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown and defensive end Jalyn Holmes.

“He’s another fighter, a lockdown corner. He’s somebody who can take care of a whole side of the field and take away somebody’s No. 1 [receiver],” Brown said of his college teammate. “We’re excited to have him.”

As Lattimore adjusts to life as a Commander, the rest of his new teammates are preparing for a showdown with the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.

“It’s going to be all hands on deck,” Quinn said.