Marshon Lattimore, the New Orleans Saints cornerback, could be on the move, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. In an ESPN+ piece published on Sunday, Fowler indicated that Lattimore might be traded, and numerous teams anticipate he will be.Could the Pittsburgh Steelers be among those teams? They absolutely need to improve the CB position opposite Joey Porter Jr. Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson were definitely below the line last season.
The Steelers are aware of this as well. A league source in Indianapolis confirmed to Steelers Now that Pittsburgh has expressed interest in Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Pittsburgh believes it has to upgrade its cornerback room, and Sneed is one of the main candidates.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Chiefs are asking for at least a second-round selection, and sources verified this to Steelers Now. Kansas City has informed Sneed that they will franchise tag him unless the parties can reach an agreement on a long-term contract. If the Chiefs are unable to sign Sneed, they plan to tag and trade him, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
In addition, Pittsburgh indicated interest in Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson at the trade deadline last year. So they’ve been looking into obtaining a talented cornerback since the middle of the season. Johnson and Sneed are the top two available players whose contracts will expire after the 2023 season. The Bears are also trying to sign Johnson to an extension.
The deadline for the Chiefs to tag Sneed is March 5. The free agent contact period begins March 11. If the Steelers don’t sign Sneed or Johnson, Lattimore could be a viable backup option.
Lattimore is 28 in May, so he is still in the prime of his career. New Orleans selected the Cleveland native and Ohio State product 11th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and has four Pro Bowl selections to his credit.
In 90 career games (all starts), Lattimore has 375 total tackles (304 solo), seven tackles for loss, 86 passes defended, 15 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.
Injuries have plagued Lattimore over the last two seasons, which is why New Orleans may want to trade him. He’s only appeared in 17 games over the last two years. In 2022, he had a lacerated kidney, which forced him to miss 10 games. Then, in 2023, he was sent on injured reserve after injuring his ankle in Week 10 and not returning.
According to NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, an unusual contract renegotiation has increased the likelihood of Lattimore being traded this offseason. According to Underhill, the Saints changed the majority of Lattimore’s pay into an option bonus, which will be paid out one week before the 2024 season begins. If he is dealt, his new team will pay the option bonus, not New Orleans.
The restructure cut Lattimore’s salary cap from $25.6 million to $14.6 million. If Lattimore is moved before June 1, they will have to pay over $30.4 million in dead money. If they wait until June 2, they will only pay $13.4 million in dead money in 2024, and around $20.8 million in 2025.
