Commanders’ William Jackson’s trade saga takes surprising twist

The Washington Commanders are making a ton of headlines for a team that’s 2-4 and a long shot to make the playoffs. Sound familiar? Not only does William Jackson III reportedly want a trade before the Nov. 1 deadline, but Carson Wentz is out a minimum of four games with a fractured finger, thrusting Taylor Heinicke into a starting role he held as recently as last season.

Ron Rivera’s job security has been a hot topic of conversation, too.

In terms of Jackson, we were hoping we wouldn’t have to address this quasi-trade request until Washington struck a deal for the player. Those hopes came crashing down Tuesday when Jackson (to his credit) addressed the media.

In rather shocking fashion, Jackson denied wanting out of Washington. This comes just days after NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero, who seldom put a foot wrong in their line of work, reported Jackson wanted a “fresh start” and a move to a scheme that better suits his skillset.

Commanders’ William Jackson denies requesting a trade.

"“I never said that,” Jackson said Tuesday of wanting a fresh start. “I never said, ‘I want out.’ I love my teammates, I love being around the guys. People are going to write what they want to write. I just sit back and do my job.”"

For what it’s worth, Jackson was smiling and laughing with teammates inside the Commanders locker room, which would suggest he’s in good spirits.

Rivera didn’t have any comment about Jackson’s reported desire to be traded. The head coach explained the $40.5 million cornerback is still rehabbing his back, which prevented him from playing in Week 3 vs the Eagles and Week 6 against the Bears. Rivera was noncommittal about Jackson playing when he’s back healthy

It’s a difficult situation to gauge. Perhaps Jackson and Rivera don’t want to pour gasoline on an already-combustible flame. Maybe Jackson still wants out and is letting his representatives orchestrate a trade behind the scenes. That would align with how he’s conducted himself (like a pro) since he joined Washington.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing to suggest Jackson had a sudden change of heart and wants to continue playing for the Commanders. Don’t believe us? Check out what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had to say about Jackson (subscription required).

"Expect the situation with cornerback William Jackson III and the Washington Commanders to get resolved fairly soon. While sources confirm the NFL Network report that he wants out of Washington, which is now looking to trade him, I’m told the team doesn’t want this to linger.There are layers to this discussion, due in part to the player’s health. An MRI has revealed an injury to Jackson’s lower back. It’s something he might be able to play through, but that’s largely up to Jackson, who as of late last week hadn’t officially requested a trade.The team is trying to decide whether his injury requires a trip to injured reserve, which would shut him down for four weeks. And if he can play, should the Commanders proceed with a trade? They have been trying to sort through the situation."

Seems like the Commanders are stuck between a rock and a hard place. In a perfect world, they’d jettison Jackson before the Nov. 1 deadline, but the player’s back injury throws a wrench into those plans. After all, what team would give up assets (or an asset) for an expensive player who’s out of commission with a back injury?

Our best advice? Sit tight. While a trade feels like the most likely outcome, Fowler’s reporting, Rivera’s verbiage and Jackson’s sudden backpedaling suggests it’s not a sure thing he’s moved out of Washington before the deadline.