Among the many baffling decisions made by the Cincinnati Bengals' brain trust in recent years, letting Jessie Bates walk in free agency was near the top of the list. And that was before anyone had any concept of what the potential return would be.
Cincinnati's safety room has been in tatters since Bates' departure. The Geno Stone horror show of the last couple years was rock-bottom. At least it triggered action this offseason when the Bengals signed Bryan Cook in free agency.
The only blessing in disguise of the Bengals alienating their latest star player after the 2022 season was that they'd wind up with a third-round compensatory draft pick in 2024.
Unfortunately, Duke Tobin and the scouting department squandered that 97th overall selection on Texas A&M nose tackle McKinnley Jackson.
McKinnley Jackson waived by Bengals as comp pick from Bates' exit goes up in flames
ESPN's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Jackson wouldn't be part of the Bengals' initial 53-man roster after being waved. Very little suspense to be had in that transaction, because it was so expected.
Less expected was how the Bengals nearly didn't get the right to select Jackson in the first place, as Over the Cap contributor Nick Korte observed:
McKinnley Jackson was the player drafted with the 3rd round compensatory pick that the Bengals almost didn't get due to an error. A shame it didn't work out for him in Cincinnati. https://t.co/KgZ2lycRE3
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) August 30, 2026
Mgihtv'e been better off just, I don't know, letting the clock run out and forfeiting the pick. Elle-Oh-Elle.
Once the Bengals traded the 10th overall pick in the draft for Dexter Lawrence, the writing was on the wall that Jackson's days in Cincinnati were numbered. The team had already signed T.J. Slaton on the open market last offseason when Jackson failed to show enough promise to emerge as a starter.
Sadly, Slaton was something of a free-agent bust. But again, credit to the Bengals, they didn't double down on their mistakes like they often would in the past. They got Sexy Dexy. And he's dominant.
In light of Jackson's rather high draft status and frequent appearances on the healthy scratches list last season, it's hard to envision him returning on the practice squad. Then again, I doubt many teams will be keen to add him via waivers.
To be fair, Jackson flashed some decent pass rushing upside this preseason and held his own for the most part, albeit against backups. I wouldn't give up on his career entirely. It's just that the Bengals expected more from him than to be a mere low-rung rotational player.
Jackson's departure further stains Cincinnati's 2024 draft class
Kris Jenkins Jr. in the second round. Jermaine Burton with Jackson in the third. Daijahn Anthony also waived on Sunday. Erick All Jr. missed most of his rookie campaign and all of last season, though he should be a help here soon.
Other than Amarius Mims, that Bengals 2024 draft class is looking rough. I get that not every draft will be a banner year for the scouting department, but come on!
Five of 10 players are already off the roster. Jenkins barely made the cut, and the same goes for cornerback Josh Newton and defensive end Cedric Johnson.
Mims, All, Johnson, and Newton all offer varying degrees of promise. In that specific order.
Should I say that the Jessie Bates saga is definitively over if he keeps casting a long shadow over the Bengals like this? Well, I suppose so in the literal sense, but let's hope Bryan Cook balls out so hard that the ache of Bates' absence is a distant memory by the time the Madrid game rolls around.
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