Washington Commanders fans have waited for over a month to see cornerback Marshon Lattimore make his debut with the Burgundy & Gold. Thirty-seven days later, we're still not completely sure when that will be.

It certainly does seem like it's getting close, though, and all signs point to Lattimore suiting up against the New Orleans Saints -- his former team -- this Sunday. He was a full participant in practice for the first time on Wednesday and continued that trend on Thursday. Although there are still some obstacles to overcome, coach Dan Quinn said Monday that Lattimore is "hitting all the markers" on his recovery.

When he does get in the lineup, whether that's this weekend or in one of Washington's other three games, the Commanders are expecting to get a player who can dramatically change their defense.

"It's a big deal," Quinn said. "And to add a player of this caliber after the trade deadline so to speak, it just doesn't happen very often."

Lattimore's reputation would certainly indicate that he can live up to that expectation. He hasn't allowed a touchdown in single coverage since 2021 and allowed a -12.3% completion rate over expected when targeted as the nearest defender this season. Quarterbacks have just a 70.4 passer rating when targeting him.

Obviously, Washington wants to add a player of that caliber to their defense. While the unit is ranked fifth in passing yards allowed, they have given up chunk plays downfield, particularly in man coverage. Ja'Marr Chase, for example, had 118 yards and two touchdowns when Washington played the Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers' receiver Mike Williams scored a game-winning touchdown against the unit while working against man coverage.

The hope is that Lattimore can eliminate that weakness, but before that can happen, he needs to prove he's fully recovered from his hamstring injury and has a firm grasp of Washington's scheme. He's made progress on both counts, according to Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Quinn said Monday that Lattimore did "a lot of top speed running" during the bye week and was able to participate in the work they did that day.

As for the mental side of it, Lattimore has impressed the defensive staff.

"He's extremely smart, man," Whitt said. "I've been really pleased with that part of him."

In a way, having Lattimore sit and recover from his hamstring injury has been a benefit because he's to put more energy into learning Washington's system. He's been working with defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and assistant defensive backs coach William Gay to make sure he's able to effectively communicate and understand the calls whenever he gets on the field. Gay, who played for Whitt, understands what Whitt wants to see from the position and how to get that across to a player.

"That's just been really good that he's had the opportunity," Whitt said. "He'll be further along right now than he would be if he to play right when he got here. Nobody wants him to be hurt...but the benefit of it is he's further along in the defense than he would have been that first week."

Even then, it might take time for Lattimore to get up to speed on the field. "It does take a few games to get into that rhythm with new people," because as important as studying and getting practice reps can be, they can't compare to actual game reps.

Still, Quinn also said there is an advantage to adding a player like Lattimore this late in the season. The belief is that adding Lattimore will allow Whitt to call a more aggressive game and use more man coverage. It would cause the Commanders to shift their personnel, possibly allowing players like Benjamin St-Juste and Mike Sainristil to have roles that better match their skill sets.

As Quinn said, "It's a really big deal."

"Marshon's certainly trended in the right direction for us to play and so, we'll take it through the whole week," Quinn said.

As with every other player who's dealt with injuries, the Commanders aren't going to put Lattimore on the field unless they are completely sure he can perform. Quinn said Monday that he and the staff will watch to see if he's "able to hit all the speeds, all the change of directions, and really all the things that will come up in practice for his position." If he can do that, then he'll be in New Orleans ready to compete.

Until that happens, they're staying cautiously optimistic.

"We're still taking Marshon through the process, so I am hopeful that he is ready but until he's been totally clear," Whitt said. "But it depends on how much difference guys can tilt the coverage one way or another. But until we get him out there, until we see, I'll be able to answer that the week after he plays."