Washington Commanders cornerback William Jackson III's name has been the subject of trade rumors this week after a report revealed that he could be interested in a change of scenery.
Jackson may want a trade, but it ultimately comes down to general manager Martin Mayhew's decision ... and it may not be in Washington's best interest to deal its starting cornerback.
Jackson is in the second season of a three-year, $42 million deal he signed in 2021, and any time you shell out that kind of money in free agency, you don't want it to go to waste. If Washington trades Jackson, the organization admits failure in the decision to sign him.
But just because you signed Jackson to a pricy deal doesn't mean you shouldn't trade him. The future should have more weight in the decision than the past.
Should Jackson be traded, Benjamin St-Juste would likely take his place. St-Juste has played well in the two games Jackson sat out due to injury. And in Washington's win on Thursday, St-Juste made the game-winning play, denying Darnell Mooney a touchdown on the goal line on fourth down. The team also has Kendall Fuller, who has also struggled, but is still the best cornerback on the roster. So trading Jackson won't completely tear down the house of cards.
Given the fact that Jackson also has a year left on his deal after 2022, the Commanders don't need to trade him and fear that he will walk away in free agency this summer. You don't want Jackson to walk away for nothing, but given the life of the contract, Washington doesn't need to settle ... it can wait for the best deal possible.
So, let's answer the question posed at the top of the article ... *Should* the Commanders trade Jackson? Only if the right deal comes along.
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