bengals-jaguars Joe Burrow has the Bengals off to a 3-1 start this season. Syndication The Enquirer

It’s often more interesting to learn about the trades that almost happened rather than the ones that did. That appears to be the case between two AFC teams, as the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars nearly swung a blockbuster trade ahead of last month’s 2023 NFL Draft.

Per Kelsey Conway, the Jaguars were interested in trading for Jonah Williams.

The Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman requested a trade after the team opted to make a move for Orlando Brown, Jr., who will be Joe Burrow’s left tackle moving forward.

Williams was unhappy with the switch to right tackle or the move in free agency that unseated him from the left side. The Jaguars explored moving after Cam Robinson was suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. According to Conway, it sounds like Jacksonville gave serious consideration before using its first-round pick on former Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Anton Harrison, who will likely fill in for Robinson on that left side.

The Bengals opted not to trade Williams to the Jaguars. And while he has not been present for the team’s offseason workouts, Conway, who covers the Bengals for Cincinnati.com (The Enquirer), is reporting that Williams is expected to partake in the team’s mandatory offseason activities and will play this season in Cincinnati at right tackle.

NFL fans — mainly Jaguars and Bengals fans — reacted to the news on social media:

 

[Kelsey Conway]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.