NFL: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the busiest team at the 2022 NFL trade deadline. Less than an hour after they shipped wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, they added a cornerback in the form of William Jackson III from the Washington Commanders, CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson reports. The trade for Jackson involves a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 being swapped for a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick, according to NFL Media. 

The former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback is back in the AFC North after just 16 games with Washington. Despite signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Commanders prior to the 2021 campaign, things went awry for Jackson in D.C. Last month, NFL.com reported that Jackson wanted a fresh start with another team, and the Commanders agreed to search for a trade partner. His last action came in Week 5. 

Jackson reportedly was not happy with the amount of zone coverage he was playing in Washington, as he considers himself a man-to-man defensive back. In 16 games played for Washington, Jackson recorded 55 combined tackles, 10 passes defensed and two interceptions. 

Money was likely a hurdle in this transaction, as Jackson's base salary in 2023 is $9.25 million, per Spotrac. His AAV of $13.5 million ranks 14th in the NFL, per Over The Cap. As NFL Media points out, Jackson worked with Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during their time together in Cincinnati. This addition aids what is statistically the second-worst pass defense in the NFL, as the Steelers allow 277.3 passing yards per game. Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles torched Pittsburgh's secondary in a 35-13 beatdown, as A.J. Brown caught three first-half touchdowns. 

Here's our grade for how the two teams fared in the trade. 

Commanders: C

Washington deserves some credit for getting something for a player everyone knew was no longer in their long-term plans. That being said, it's hard to give them too much credit given that they didn't receive much for a cornerback who should have had decent value on the open market. It's surprising that a contending team -- the Cincinnati Bengals come to mind following Chidobe Awuzie's serious injury sustained on Monday night -- didn't making a compelling offer for Jackson. 

Steelers: B 

Pittsburgh liked Jackson and was primed to select him with the 25th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. But the Bengals jumped in and grabbed Jackson with the 24th pick, leaving the Steelers to select fellow cornerback Artie Burns. Six years later, the Steelers finally have Jackson on their roster after pulling off Tuesday's trade. 

The acquisition of Jackson is timely given that Pittsburgh's secondary allowed three touchdowns to A.J. Brown during Sunday's blowout loss in Philadelphia. Jackson alone won't mask all of the Steelers' secondary issues, but it's a good start. He's a veteran player who could mimic the success Joe Haden recently had after joining the Steelers during the back half of his career.