The Washington Commanders are expected to trade cornerback William Jackson III to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending transaction.
Commanders poised to trade William Jackson III to Steelers
The two teams are apparently finalizing what Washington will receive in return.
Washington’s ability to recoup any assets for Jackson seems like a minor victory. The Commanders benched Jackson for poor play in Week 5 against Tennessee. He has not dressed for a game since, and has also spoken about dealing with a back injury. In the hours leading up to the Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, it seemed possible Washington might just cut Jackson, absorb the financial penalty and move on.
The trade will somewhat minimize a costly mistake for Washington. In March 2021, Coach Ron Rivera’s new, handpicked front office made one of its first splashy moves by giving Jackson a top-of-market deal for three years and $40.5 million. But Jackson, who excelled in man-to-man coverage in Cincinnati, never looked truly comfortable in Washington’s zone-heavy scheme.
This season, despite switching to a hybrid scheme known as “matchup zone,” Jackson still struggled.
By trading Jackson, Washington will save about $12.75 million next year but carry $3 million of “dead cap” in 2023, 2024 and 2025 from his prorated bonus, according to the web site Over the Cap.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Source: WP
