The saga between the Washington Commanders and disgruntled cornerback William Jackson III may be coming to an end.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders are expected to release Jackson if there is no trade partner by Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. deadline. Teams have called, but nothing has materialized.
Jackson signed a three-year, $40.5 million deal with Washington as a free agent in 2021 after four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, his tenure in Washington has been disappointing.
Jackson’s struggles came to a head in Week 5. He got pulled from the game in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans. Jackson pointed to his injured back as a reason for the benching. However, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera hinted otherwise.
In five games this season, opposing quarterbacks completed 70.8% of their passes with two touchdowns and a 121.4 quarterback rating when targeting Jackson.
Jackson reportedly requested a trade shortly afterward, although the cornerback denied he made a trade request. He has not played in a game since, missing the last three due to a bulging disc in his back.
The back injury may have subdued the teams’ trade interest.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, the Commanders considered placing Jackson on injured reserve for the season. His back has improved, leaving Washington to contemplate making a decision to trade or release him.
Jackson’s release would leave the Commanders with a dead cap of $13.4 million this season and $9 million in 2023. However, Washington would save $6.75 million against the salary cap net season.
Jackson has played 16 games with Washington. He had two interceptions, and 10 passes defended.
