TRADE: Steelers Trading For CB William Jackson

According to Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are trading for Commanders CB William Jackson. 

Washington was expected to release Jackson if no buyer emerged by today’s trade deadline. As sometimes happens, that prompted a team, in this case Pittsburgh, to offer something to avoid being passed up for the player on waivers. 

Rapoport adds the Steelers sent a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 for Jackson and a conditional 2025 seventh. 

Jackson signed with Washington as a big-ticket free agent last year but the fit has been poor so far. The veteran corner was hoping for a trade to a scheme that plays more man coverage.

Washington likely struggled to find a taker for Jackson’s money, as he’s due $10 million in guaranteed salary this season, per Over The Cap.

Jackson, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Bengals back in 2016. He was in the final year of his four-year, $9.7 million contract when the Bengals picked up Jackson’s fifth option worth $9,954,000 for the 2020 season.

Jackson was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent in 2021 when he signed a three-year, $42 million deal with Washington. He’s due base salaries of $5 million and $9.25 million over the final two years of the deal. 

In 2022, Jackson has appeared in four games for the Commanders and recorded 15 total tackles and two pass deflections. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 84 cornerback out of 104 qualifying players. 

We’ll have more on the Commanders and Jackson as the news is available.