Washington Commanders’ cornerback William Jackson III has reportedly asked to be traded, and the team is expected to oblige that request well before the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline.
On Thursday morning, the NFL Network broke the news that Jackson III has soured on his 16-game tenure with the Commanders and would like to play elsewhere for the rest of the 2022 season.
“Sources say the former big-ticket free agent cornerback would like a new home, and the Commanders have engaged in active trade talks centered around him with hopes of making that happen. There has been interest in Jackson from several teams, sources say.”
Report on William Jackson III trade talk
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The report states that the Commanders are expected to find a new home for the disgruntled defensive back soon, and he is not going to suit up for the team in their Thursday night game against the Chicago Bears.
In March of 2021, Jackson III signed a three-year deal worth as much as $42 million with the then-Washington Football Team, after a four-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals. The 29-year-old was the Bengals top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, 24th overall.
Possible landing spots for William Jackson III, including Baltimore Ravens
Head coach Ron Rivera benched Jackson III for the team’s Week 5 loss to the Titans. However, the corner claims a back injury was the real reason he sat out of the game. Nevertheless, the Houston University standout was unhappy with the team’s defensive scheme this season under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Since he prefers to play as a man-to-man defender. but the team has not used him in that way.
With Jackson III expected to be moved, what teams could benefit by adding the talented cornerback? Here are three options.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are sure to land a playoff spot and could win the AFC North in 2022, as they currently sit in first place after five games. However, while Lamar Jackson is having another strong season in the final year of his contract, their defense has been terrible. Especially, in terms of defending the pass. They have the worst passing yards against average at 290.2 per game and need to improve that area fast if they hope to be more than a one-and-done team in the postseason.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a massive disappointment in 2022, and that falls on the horrid defense. Despite some notable off-season additions like Chandler Jones, they have given up the eighth most passing yards per game after five weeks. The cornerback combo of Rock Ya-Sin and Nate Hobbs hasn’t cut it and the secondary needs some help.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are once again looking like a serious title contender. At least on offense. While they haven’t been as bad as years past on defense, the same old passing deficiencies still exist. They are ninth worth against the pass in 2022 and have missed safety Tryann Mathieu. A player like Jackson III would be a nice addition to improve the unit for a title run.