ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders are still waiting to see their newest addition, Marshon Lattimore, take the practice field. While the cornerback was out at practice Wednesday and Thursday, he didn't participate.
There's also no word yet if he'll suit up this Sunday against the Steelers at Northwest Stadium. Lattimore is dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered before Tuesday's trade.
WUSA9 spoke to Lattimore’s new teammates on both sides of the ball and they were collectively thrilled to have him here.
"We get to compete with another great player, another great veteran and he gets to add onto our room to what we have right now," said cornerback Benjamin St-Juste.
Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is also excited for the solid addition to his secondary and says the defensive backs have shared in that excitement. But, with the addition of a four-time pro bowl cornerback, how does that change playing time for guys like Emmanuel Forbes, Mikey Sainristil or Benjamin St-Juste?
"I thought about that as soon as I found out that we were acquiring him and then I said, ‘well, why even worry about it right now until he gets out there?’" Whitt said.
The Commanders cornerbacks seem to see Lattimore's addition not as a source of worry, but as another resource for Whitt Jr. and the defense.
"We get to kind of create this kind of chemistry where we can use Mikey, me, Forbes, Marshon, whoever has the best skill set for that specific team that we’re going to play," St-Juste said. "Now we have a bigger toolbox."
Whitt was quick to defend the work thus far this season by his starting lineup.
“Let’s not neglect what the guys that are here have done, okay? The only thing that we haven’t done is intercept the ball," Whitt said. "I think we’re 5th in pass defense," said Whitt Jr. "And the sacks we’ve had, we’ve won some of the time, but some of them are coverage sacks. Let’s not act like St-Juste and Mikey and Noah [Igbinoghene] and [Jeremy] Chinn and those guys haven’t been playing solid ball. They have. So one guy is not going to come and change all that. He’s added to what we’re doing. He’s not going to make us be what we’re going to be.”