The Cincinnati Bengals lost William Jackson to free agency this offseason when the cornerback decided to sign with the Washington Football Team on the open market.
And now Jackson has some thoughts about his former team and fans.
Appearing on 106.7 The Fan’s “BMitch &Finlay” show, Jackson took a shot at the fans when asked how receptive Washington fans have been about his arrival: “Cincinnati, they got some crude fans, man. Misery loves company.”
There was another shot in there about the organization in general, albeit with a bit of positivity tacked on at the end:
“Them dudes, they wonder why they’re not winning. I’m happy I’m out of that thing man. It’s a blessing to get away, and I wish them the best, but Washington…let’s go from here.”
Jackson, a first-round pick by the Bengals in 2016, spent five seasons in Cincinnati before becoming a free agent.
His commentary here might partially stem from the way the roster has turned over since the arrival of Zac Taylor as head coach and Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator. It does mesh with the general vibe given off by some Marvin Lewis carryovers such as Carlos Dunlap before he forced his trade at the deadline. Schematically speaking, Jackson is probably in a better spot with Washington than he was with this new Bengals staff.
That said, taking a blanket shot at the entire franchise and calling out at least a portion of the fanbase is a weird way to get his tenure in Washington started.
Cincinnati attempted to retain Carl Lawson in free agency but Jackson never seemed like a guy who was going to return. The coaching staff instead remade the cornerback spot again, adding Mike Hilton, Eli Apple and Chidobe Awuzie to the core headlined by Trae Waynes.
