Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Speaks Out on William Jackson III Trade: 'We Were Wrong'

The Washington Commanders traded William Jackson III to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.

Hindsight is 20-20.

When the Washington Commanders sign William Jackson III to a three-year, $40.5 million contract in the 2021 offseason, they were hoping he’d bolster a defense that already had one of the best defensive lines in football.

Things ultimately didn’t pan out for Jackson and Washington. The Commanders traded Jackson and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.

In an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, head coach Ron Rivera said that the team got it wrong.

“Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong,” Rivera said. “When you get it wrong, when you recognize it, realize it, (it’s) time to move on.”

In 2021, Jackson had 39 tackles and a career-high two interceptions. He only played in five games in the 2022 season and had 16 tackles, nine of which came on Sept. 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jackson’s tenure with the Commanders took a turn for the worse on Oct. 9 when they lost 21-17 to the Tennessee Titans. He left the game with a back injury and questions percolated about the validity of his injury. Days later, rumors came out that he requested a trade.

With the trade request, Jackson was hoping to find a better fit on a defense that played more man-coverage as compared to Washington who primarily plays zone.

Rivera noted that the fit just didn’t pan out between Washington and Jackson III.

“We were looking for a guy that had a specific skill set that could understand the match coverages and play and play the match coverages we do with everybody else,” Rivera said. “He struggled with it because he really is a man-coverage type of guy. So along the lines, during our evaluation process, we were wrong.”

The Commanders look to move on without Jackson Sunday when they face the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at FedEx Field.

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