Jackson was cut by the Steelers at the end of last season to free up $12 million in cap space. The former first-rounder was traded to the Steelers from the Commanders at last year’s deadline but never suited up for Pittsburgh in 2022. Now reportedly healthy and ready to get back to work, Jackson will try to catch on with a team before the start of the season. Jackson signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract with the Commanders in 2021 and quickly became one of the bigger free agent busts in recent memory. Whenever he signs with a team, it will likely be to serve as added depth and not as a starter.

Jackson said he's over the back injury that limited him to four games in 2023. Pittsburgh released Jackson in March in a move that cleared $12 million off the cap but he's yet to take any free agent visits since. With multiple teams interested in Jackson, the 30-year-old could wait until the preseason to sign.

Pittsburgh gains $12.2 million in cap space by cutting Jackson. The Steelers initially acquired him via a trade with Washington at the deadline last fall. Jackson was benched by the Commanders and then suffered a back injury. He did not take a span in a black and gold uniform, so his release does not come as much of a surprise. Signed to a three-year, $42 million contract in 2021, Jackson will now be stuck looking for a one-year deal close to the league minimum.

The Steelers went out and acquired Jackson at the trade deadline for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. Jackson struggled in his one-and-a-half years in Washington after joining the team on a three-year, $42 million contract at the start of 2021, and was dealt to the Steelers after the Commanders floated him out to potential suitors. As Kaboly noted in his article, Jackson didn't play a game for the Steelers last season and the team could save $9.25 million against the cap by cutting him ahead of next season. It's possible the Steelers will try to re-work Jackson's contract, but if the two sides can't agree on a new number, an outright release wouldn't be out of the question.