Why William Jackson III injury update is bad news for Commanders

The Washington Commanders’ signing of William Jackson is one of the franchise’s worst offseason moves in recent memory.

Viewed as the crown jewel of the Commanders’ extensive free agent splurge in 2020, Jackson’s tenure in the nation’s capital was marred by injuries, penalties and allowing explosive plays largely due to miscommunication and a failure to get acclimated to the team’s zone defense.

After getting benched against the Titans, a report claimed Jackson requested a trade out of Washington. While Jackson ultimately walked back the report, there was no mending the relationship after Jackson was benched.

Despite Jackson’s bloated contract, dreadful performance, and the fact he was dealing with a back injury, the Commanders managed to trade the defender to the Steelers before the deadline. It was an incredible turn of events given Washington had already settled on releasing the player if they couldn’t find a trade partner.

If Commanders fans were wondering how Jackson’s stint in Pittsburgh is going, it hasn’t even gotten off the ground yet. In fact, the Steelers placed Jackson on injured reserve Sunday before they kicked off against the Saints.

You might think that puts (another) positive spin on the trade, but it’s actually bad news from a Washington perspective.

The Steelers placing William Jackson III on injured reserve is actually bad news for the Commanders.

As we stated when Jackson was traded, the Commanders aren’t “winners” in this. They ultimately paid Jackson $24 million for just 16 games.

They’ll also incur $9 million in dead money for the remainder of 2022 and $10.6 million in dead money next season. All of that money for Jackson to lace his cleats in the AFC is an organizational failure even though Washington did incredibly well to find a buyer for Jackson before the trade deadline buzzer.

So, why is Jackson going on the shelf bad news?

If you remember, the Commanders acquired a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh in the trade. The deal was contingent on Jackson playing a specified number of games this season. The fact Jackson is out the next four games (at minimum) likely means he won’t meet the required threshold. That means no pick for Washington.

Essentially, the Steelers netted Jackson and his contract for nothing (in terms of draft compensation). That puts a pretty depressing perspective on the trade. Imagine paying $42.5 million for a player only for his value to plummet to where he isn’t even worth a draft pick? That’s how dreadful Jackson’s time with the burgundy and gold was.

In the grand scheme of things, losing a sixth-round pick isn’t a huge deal. But the Commanders have struck gold late in recent drafts. Kam Curl (seventh round), Cole Holcomb (fifth round), Darrick Forrest (fifth round), and Chase Roullier (sixth round) are just some of Washington’s late-round gems since 2017.

No sense crying over spilled milk, but Jackson going on injured reserve definitely tilts the trade in the Steelers’ favor. The best thing for Washington would’ve been if Jackson played immediately following the trade, as deranged as that sounds.