Washington Commanders rookie defensive back Jartavius “Quan” Martin had a tough night in Friday’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.
And in typical Washington fashion, fans vented on social media. Some were already labeling the Commanders’ 2023 second-round pick a bust after just one game — a PRESEASON game.
Relax.
Martin, the versatile defensive back from Illinois who can play slot cornerback, outside cornerback and safety, saw plenty of action in the preseason opener. He finished the game with four tackles but allowed a touchdown reception and was also flagged for a pair of defensive penalties.
One of the penalties called on Martin was highly questionable, and likely would not have been flagged in a regular-season game. Yet, Martin did get beat for a touchdown.
The good news from Martin’s debut game was his tackling. Martin was strong in run support.
Head coach Ron Rivera certainly isn’t concerned with Martin.
“I think the biggest thing for Quan, more than anything else, was how hyped up he was,” Rivera said. “He played really fast, probably a little too fast at times. He settled in, I thought he did some good things. I saw he was very competitive, maybe overly aggressive a little bit, but he’s a guy I think that’s going to continue to grow and get better for us, and the more he learns and more comfortable he gets within the scheme, you’ll see more opportunities for him rise up.”
Rivera’s explanation makes sense. You’re going to make mistakes in your first NFL action. Sure, first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes looked excellent in his limited time on the field. However, Forbes and Martin are being asked to play different positions. Martin is being tasked to play multiple spots. There is a learning curve. And the coaching staff is also trying to figure out Martin’s role for 2023. The preseason is the perfect time for that.
After the game, Martin’s Twitter activity showed he was paying attention to what fans were saying about his debut.
Quan Martin is not forgetting #HTTC pic.twitter.com/Lqax9I9Mhe
— PedroSchmith (@PedroSchmithYT) August 12, 2023
Good for Martin. He’s taking receipts. It’s likely not personal but for motivational reasons.
Everyone should relax. The time for rookies to make mistakes are in the preseason games. Martin has been impressive since arriving in May. The more he plays, the more comfortable he will become.
The unfortunate part for Martin is fans want to blame him for the Commanders passing on potential offensive linemen to draft another defensive back. That’s not his fault. He’ll be a good player, and fans will forget his rookie preseason opener before long.
