Jeff Duncan: Saints and Marshon Lattimore are on good terms for now. The future is uncertain. (2024)

So, what to make of the Marshon Lattimore situation?

On one hand, the Saints say everything is "positive" with their star cornerback and the sides are "moving forward," presumably heart to heart and hand in hand.

On the other, he remains absent from the team’s offseason conditioning program and was conspicuously M.I.A. Tuesday for the team’s on-field practice.

Understandably, many folks are confused. If Lattimore is on board, why isn’t he on the field?

It’s a legitimate question.

The answer, I’ve learned, is nuanced.

First of all, Lattimore’s absence from offseason workouts is neither particularly surprising or newsworthy. Players — especially pedigreed veterans such as Lattimore — often miss these workouts around the league. They’re voluntary, after all.

Lattimore knows the defense like the back of his hand. He could miss every practice between now and the Sept. 10 opener against Carolina and still line up and lock down Diontae Johnson for four quarters.

That said, Demario Davis, Cam Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu don’t need the work either, and they’re still there. Lattimore, though, is wired differently than those guys. He’s a bit of a lone-wolf personality, and the Saints always have allowed him to march to the beat of his own drum. Nothing has or should change now.

Dennis Allen, Marshon Lattimore clear the air about trade rumors with 'positive' conversation https://t.co/scFk5tlLcN

— SaintsNOW (@SaintsNOW) May 21, 2024

Secondly, let’s address the elephant in the room: Lattimore is not going to be traded anywhere — at least not anytime soon. Barring a last-minute, knock-your-socks-off offer from another team, Lattimore will play his eighth NFL season for the Saints, the team that drafted him seven years ago out of Ohio State.

If you had raised this question five months ago, the answer might have been different.

Lattimore's 2023 season

Relations between Lattimore and the Saints were more frosty than friendly toward the end of last season.

For the second year in a row, Lattimore had suffered through an injury-marred campaign that saw his performance decline from his Pro Bowl form of 2017-21. At the same time, frustration grew internally about Lattimore’s tepid recovery pace from each injury, a sentiment that undoubtedly irked Lattimore and his representatives.

When team officials reworked Lattimore’s contract late last season, it launched red flares around the league. The timing of the renegotiation was odd, as were the mechanizations. The Saints restructured Lattimore’s five-year, $97 million deal in such a way as to make him more easily tradable.

It was an eyebrow-raising move, one not done by accident. And Lattimore and his representation were obviously complicit, or they wouldn’t have signed off on the restructured deal. A divorce appeared imminent.

In the weeks and months since, speculation ran rampant about Lattimore’s future in New Orleans. Saints officials were adamant publicly that they were not shopping Lattimore, but clearly they were willing to listen to offers for him. And it sounds like what they heard was not enticing enough to part ways with a corner of his pedigree and ability.

Which leads us to where we are today: a marriage of convenience. Neither side is completely satisfied, but both understand they need to make the best of the situation.

By restructuring Lattimore’s contract, the Saints wisely gave themselves flexibility — both in terms of their roster and the salary cap. Lattimore is unquestionably a talented and valuable player. He’s still in his 20s and plays one of the most important positions in the game.

When he is healthy, motivated and on his A game, he is one of the elite shutdown corners in the game. His ability to blanket the opponent’s top receiver in single coverage frees up the rest of the defense.

Where Lattimore stands

The problem is Lattimore hasn’t been consistently healthy or motivated enough the past two seasons.

In the first two games of last season, wins against Tennessee and Carolina, Lattimore was at his dominant best, targeted a combined eight times while allowing only three receptions for 30 yards and recording three pass breakups and an interception.

After that, though, his play tailed off. Mike Evans torched him for five catches on five targets for 78 yards in a Week 4 home loss to the Bucs.

In his final eight games of 2023, Lattimore recorded just four pass breakups and did not have another interception while allowing 24 receptions on 38 targets. His final coverage grade of 69.1 ranked just 64th among NFL cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus.

In 2022, he ranked 44th in coverage among cornerbacks that played 20% of the defensive snaps.

Moreover, the Saints have proven they can play quality defense without him. In fact, the Saints’ defensive numbers are as good without him in the lineup as they are with him. In some cases, they’re better.

Then, there’s the matter of Lattimore’s contract, which carries cap hits of $14.6 million this season and — gulp! — $31.4 million in 2025.

At a time when the Saints are trying to correct their woeful cap situation and transition the roster for the future, Lattimore is a luxury item. See: Jimmy Graham, 2015.

Saints challenge Lattimore

The reality is, everyone in the NFL is expendable. L’Jarius Sneed learned that this spring. He was still picking Super Bowl confetti out of his hair when the Chiefs traded him to Tennessee. Three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been traded twice in four years.

Lattimore is a great player. But like Sneed, Ramsey and Graham, he’s far from untouchable. And he needs to turn his game up a notch this year if he expects to remain in New Orleans long-term.

The Saints have challenged Lattimore this offseason to become a more consistent player. To get there, he’ll need the team’s coaching and medical staffs to do their part. But mostly, it’s on him.

For now, everything appears to be kosher between Lattimore and the Saints. The sides talked multiple times this offseason, and by all accounts, the communication has been productive and positive.

Lattimore has indicated that he’s happy in New Orleans and wants to remain with the Saints.

The Saints, meanwhile, have let him know they want him around. And all signs indicate he will be — for at least another season.

After that, both sides know, all bets are off.