When Marshon Lattimore entered the NFL back in 2017, he quickly established himself as an elite corner with the New Orleans Saints. In his first season, he started all 13 of the games he played in, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. That was the first of four Pro Bowls for Lattimore.
Unfortunately, the reason he only played in 13 games as a rookie is because he dealt with some injuries. That was the start of health problems that have appeared throughout Lattimore’s career— an issue that got much worse in recent years.
Early Career and Initial Injuries
Early in Lattimore’s career, he was occasionally sidelined because of injuries, but for the most part, he was an available player. The talented defensive back played 13 or more games in each of his first five seasons. In two of those seasons, he played in 16 games.
However, as a rookie, he missed one game with a concussion, and missed two additional games late in the season with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain. Those are two common injuries for football players, so it wasn’t really a big deal.
Lattimore suffered another concussion in his second season, but thanks to a bye week, he didn’t miss any time. In 2020, Lattimore missed a game with an abdominal injury, and he missed a game in 2021 with a thumb injury. All relatively minor injuries, keeping the star corner out a game or two at a time.
Major Injuries and Recovery Phases
Unfortunately for Lattimore, he started to sustain more serious injuries later in his career. In 2022, he suffered an abdominal injury that resulted in a lacerated kidney. The injury kept him sidelined for 10 straight games, as he only played seven games in 2022.
In 2023, Lattimore dealt with another serious injury, spraining his right ankle in Week 10 of the season. The ankle injury kept him out for the final seven games of the season.
Recurring Issues and Long-Term Impact
Lattimore’s injury history predates his time in the NFL, as he has a recurring injury dating back to his time at Ohio State. In 2014, the young corner tore his left hamstring and missed an entire season in college. A year later, he missed 10 games with a right hamstring tear.
Unfortunately, those hamstring issues have followed him throughout his career. In 2019, he missed two games with a hamstring strain, and in 2020, he missed a game with a hamstring injury.
