The majority of Cincinnati Bengals contract extension talk centers on running back Joe Mixon — and the front office would like to get a deal done during training camp.
But it’s important not to forget cornerback William Jackson in the same conversation.
It appears Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin isn’t:
“William is a guy we think is going to have a big year for us this year and we hope he does. He’s a guy that’s fought through injuries, he did last year. He’s a guy that has a bright future and we’ll see. Right now I can’t predict whether they’ll be an extension on his horizon but we’ll see as we go here.”
Not that an extension with Jackson is easy to figure out. A first-round pick by the team in 2016, Jackson missed his entire rookie year and had injury struggles last year while missing two games.
Jackson also had a brutal time under a new coaching staff while battling nagging issues, hence his PFF grade dipping to 53.6 — down from his stellar 90.2 in 2017.
Jackson has always flashed elite boundary corner potential. But with potential salary cap changes incoming and extensions needed for guys like Mixon, the Bengals might not have the wiggle room to pay out a top-tier extension to a cornerback, especially with Trae Waynes on board.
But it’s a “wait and see” thing with Jackson. NFL teams find a way and the Bengals might not be an exception if Jackson proves he can stay healthy and progress under the new coaching staff.
