McKinnley Jackson has been one of the bigger question marks around the Cincinnati Bengals this season.
The sophomore third-round pick, despite an obvious need on defense, has mostly been inactive so far. That culminated in his asking for a trade or release near the trade deadline.
While onlookers can sort of read between the lines on why Jackson can’t see the field despite the need, it never hurts to see some insider perspective.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. provided just that during the bye week: “In the doghouse for not being consistent or detailed enough when in the game.”
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Jackson should get more chances to play post-bye after the Bengals granted Mike Pennel’s release. They need a spark, as veterans BJ Hill and TJ Slaton aren’t cutting it and Kris Jenkins Jr. isn’t a big difference-maker, at least not yet.
But at the same time, the Bengals still want to keep competing this year and make a push down the stretch. That means the team won’t have much patience, either, which is why he’s suddenly lumped in with names like Jermaine Burton.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Reason for Bengals DL’s lack of snaps before trade request revealed
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
