Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore will play Sunday against the Buccaneers after missing the final two games of the regular season with a hamstring injury.
Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore will play Sunday against the Buccaneers after missing the final two games of the regular season with a hamstring injury.
ASHBURN, Va. – Washington Commanders corner Marshon Lattimore will play Sunday in the first round of the postseason, just in time for a rematch with Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans.
Lattimore missed Washington’s final two regular season games because of a left hamstring injury, but his return provides a big boost for the Commanders (12-5) as they play Tampa Bay (10-7) in a Wild Card matchup at 8 p.m. Sunday night. Lattimore was a full participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday and was given a veteran’s day of rest Friday.
“I feel good; I don’t have no problems now,” Lattimore said after practice Friday. “I won’t really know until I get out there all the way.”
Lattimore re-injured his hamstring in a Dec. 22 win over Philadelphia; the same injury cost him five games earlier in the season, including his first four with Washington after it acquired him in a trade with New Orleans.
He has played one full game with Washington – against his former team on Dec. 15. He left the Eagles game in the fourth quarter.
“We’re pumped to have him back in the mix,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said. “He had a really good week of practice.”
Lattimore’s return strengthens Washington’s secondary and allows the Commanders to match up better vs. Evans. The two have a long history of battles from the time Lattimore arrived in New Orleans as a first-round pick in 2017.
Evans was suspended for one game in 2017 and 2022 for fighting with Lattimore. Meanwhile, Lattimore was fined $10,500 in 2020 after shoving Evans in the back.
“I’m just trying to lock him down,” Lattimore said. “All that other stuff it is what it is… I’m just trying to help my team win.
“I want to be physical with anybody. It’s just an extra level of it because of the past. It’s not about the mental game with me it’s just, are you going to know I’m here?”
Lattimore said he just enjoys matchups against top receivers such as Evans.
“Them are the ones I want,” he said. “It’s the best vs. the best. That’s what I look forward to, going against the top opponents. I don’t want nobody to be like, ‘Oh, [this receiver] wasn’t really that good.’ I want people who are known to be good and see how I line up against them.”
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