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Report: Saints CB Marshon Lattimore agrees to five-year, $97.6 million extension after Week 1 win

The New Orleans Saints must have been very impressed with Marshon Lattimore on Sunday.

The Saints cornerback agreed to a five-year, $97.6 million contract extension worth up to $100 million, ESPN's Adam Schfter reported in the aftermath of New Orleans' blowout win over the Green Bay Packers to open the season.

The $68.3 million in guaranteed money is reportedly a record among NFL cornerbacks.

That $97.6 million contract valuation is just behind Jalen Ramsey's record $105 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens star Marlon Humphrey's $98.8 million deal.

The day wasn't all good for Lattimore, though, as he reportedly sustained a thumb injury in the Saints' win and will be week-to-week after surgery.

The Saints need Marshon Lattimore more than cap space

Lattimore's value was on display Sunday, when the Saints locked down reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers in a 38-3 win.

With Lattimore primarily covering him, All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams posted only five receptions and 56 receiving yards on seven targets. Lattimore, who was a pending free agent this season, finished with three tackles and a pass defended for the day, but that hardly showed his on-field impact.

Lattimore has been a star for the Saints ever since the team took him 11th overall out of Ohio State in the 2017 draft. In his first four NFL seasons, he has received three Pro Bowl selections and the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award while posting 55 passes defended and 10 interceptions.

The deal still leaves the Saints with tremendous math problems to figure out for next season. Lattimore had already done the team a solid by restructuring his rookie contract to free up salary-cap space for the 2020 season, but the Saints are staring at a $35 million cap overage for 2022, per OverTheCap.

This deal certainly won't help those future cap difficulties, but locking up Lattimore was a must for the Saints' future.