The Detroit Lions have seen several players walk out the door this offseason. Some players sought out a change of scenery, such as Taylor Decker, but it hasn't worked out for him. Meanwhile, other players have signed elsewhere, continuing their respective NFL careers outside the Motor City.
One of those names is cornerback Amik Robertson, who signed with the Washington Commanders on a two-year, $15 million deal with $9.3 million guaranteed. Washington made several additions to its defense this offseason, but Robertson could be a massive letdown for his new team.
Amik Robertson Is Set to Let Commanders Down in 2026
Robertson spent the last two seasons with the Lions and was asked to start on multiple occasions. In 34 games (14 starts), he had 102 total tackles, 20 pass deflections, and one interception. Robertson was solid during the 2024 season, but things went downhill in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
Season | Overall Grade | Coverage Grade | Catches Allowed | Receiving Yards Allowed | Touchdowns Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 63.1 (68th among 117 graded CBs) | 60.4 (77th among 117 graded CBs) | 47 | 601 | 2 |
2025 | 48.6 (109th among 114 graded CBs) | 48.0 (106th among 114 graded CBs) | 65 | 817 | 6 |
As the numbers show, his production got worse in every category when the Lions leaned on him to start. And now he's heading over to a Commanders defense that ranked 32nd in total defense (384) and 29th in the NFL in pass defense (242.5) last season. They know that wasn't acceptable last year, which is why they added other guys like Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Nick Cross.
Even though the Commanders made sure to spend money to improve that unit, Robertson is coming off one of his worst seasons in the league. He was third among cornerbacks in receiving yards given up in 2025 and will be asked to be a starter for the Commanders. Now that he's playing in the NFC East, he'll have to match up against the likes of CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, A.J. Brown (if he's not traded), DeVonta Smith, and Malik Nabers. These are some of the top playmakers in the league and will have six games against them on the schedule.
That's without mentioning guys like Justin Jefferson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, who are on Washington's schedule as well. It won't be an easy slate of receivers that Robertson is asked to line up against.
The Commanders paid Robertson like a starter for 2026, but they should temper their expectations. Lions fans know all too well what Robertson looked like over the last two seasons. The Louisiana Tech product struggled immensely, and the odds are that he will continue in Washington next campaign. The Lions let him walk for a reason, but it looks like Washington didn't get the memo.