5 Washington Commanders who shouldn't return in 2026
The Washington Commanders will likely go through a significant amount of turnover this offseason.
The team finished with a disappointing 5-12 record in 2025 and will have two new coordinators. Head coach Dan Quinn knows he can’t afford another disappointing season, so the team will likely be aggressive in making improvements.
One thing that’s clear is that the team needs to get younger and faster. As a result, it won’t be surprising to see many of the team’s impending free agents be allowed to walk. Today, let’s identify five players who should not be back on the Commanders in 2026.
Some of these players will be free agents in 2026 and some will be potential cap casualties. Let’s get to it.
Marshon Lattimore, CB
The thinking was that Marshon Lattimore would come to Washington and be the team’s No. 1 cornerback. Instead, Lattimore has looked like a different player than he was a couple of seasons ago.
In 2025, Lattimore played in just nine games and collected 27 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception. Pro Football Focus gave the veteran a 52.1 overall grade, which ranked 96th out of 114 qualified corners. With a cap hit of over $18 million in 2026, there’s no reason Lattimore should be on the team again.
The team wouldn’t even have to eat any dead money by cutting Lattimore and would save over $18 million.
Bobby Wagner, LB
Listen, I respect Bobby Wagner. He’s a future Hall of Famer and one of the best linebackers of all time. However, that doesn’t mean he needs to be on the team in 2026.
The Commanders need to get younger and faster and Wagner is the opposite of those things. The veteran did lead the team in tackles in 2025, but that should not be the case at this point. The expectation is that the Commanders will add a couple of off-ball linebackers this offseason, so there’s no reason to pay Wagner to be a backup.
If Wagner doesn’t retire, he should sign with a contender or maybe reunite with the Seahawks.
Noah Brown, WR
Noah Brown has had an injury-plagued tenure as a Commander. Since joining the team ahead of the 2024 season, the receiver has only been healthy for 15 games.
Brown has just 40 catches and one touchdown as a Commander, so there will assuredly be better options available. Brown has been a productive option in the past, and he has some chemistry with Jayden Daniels, which may make the team interested in keeping him around.
However, the team would be much better off spending money on guys who can stay healthy.
Quan Martin, S
Quan Martin did play in all 17 games for the Commanders in 2025, but the results weren’t exactly promising. The safety racked up 99 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pass deflections.
Pro Football Focus was not a fan of Martin’s play, giving the defender a pitiful 50.2 grade in 2025. That ranked 89th out of 98 qualified safeties, and the Commanders could almost assuredly find better production elsewhere. The team could free over $3 million by cutting Martin before June 1.
Frankie Luvu, LB
Frankie Luvu has one more year on his deal and is slated to have a cap hit of over $11 million in 2025. Just a year ago, it would have been wild to suggest Luvu could be a cap casualty.
However, the veteran took a massive step back in 2025. Luvu ended with 86 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in 2025. Luvu earned a 53.1 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 65th out of 88 qualified linebackers. Like Wagner, Luvu isn’t getting any younger and probably isn’t worth his salary anymore.
If the Commanders cut Luvu this summer, they can save just under $9 million against the cap.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 5 players who should not return in 2026