- The Washington Times - Tuesday, November 1, 2022

The Washington Commanders are working on finalizing a trade to send cornerback William Jackson III to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

The deal will allow Washington to move on from Jackson, the team’s high-profile free-agent signing in 2021 who struggled to play well in the Commanders’ zone-based system. The Commanders had benched Jackson in recent weeks and will now receive at least some compensation for him rather than releasing him outright. 

Jackson was benched during Washington’s Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans and has not played since. The Commanders, perhaps not coincidentally, have won three straight since.

Washington initially signed Jackson to a three-year, $40.5 million deal in 2021. The move was seen as a big get for Washington at the time as Jackson had thrived with the Cincinnati Bengals and was joining a defense that ranked as one of the league’s best the previous season. But Jackson proved to be an awkward fit.

After his benching, Jackson’s name popped up in trade rumors, though the cornerback told reporters “I love being around the guys.” 

By trading Jackson, the Commanders will save $12.75 million toward next year’s salary cap, according to Spotrac. But Jackson will still carry a “dead money” charge of $9 million in 2023 because of an already-paid signing bonus. 

The NFL Network first reported that the Commanders were close to dealing Jackson to the Steelers.

• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.

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