It was noticeable in the first half of the Washington Commanders’ Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans when cornerback William Jackson III was not on the field. Benjamin St-Juste kicked outside while Rachad Wildgoose came in to play the slot.
There were no apparent injuries to Jackson, according to the CBS sideline reporter during the game. When cameras panned to Jackson, he didn’t appear to be nursing an injury.
After the game, as you’d expect, Jackson’s situation was a popular topic, and reporters asked head coach Ron Rivera about his cornerback, and he said the following:
“We decided to make a change,” Rivera said, per Ben Standig of The Athletic.
Rivera on benching William Jackson: "We decided to make a change."
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 9, 2022
Rivera didn’t seem to point to any type of injury.
However, Jackson had an explanation for his absence.
William Jackson tells us he has a back injury and the treatment wasn’t working. Disc issue.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 9, 2022
Jackson’s struggles have carried over from last season. He has the second biggest cap hit on Washington’s roster behind quarterback Carson Wentz this season.
It will be interesting to see how Washington moves forward with Jackson for the remainder of the season.
