NFL teams are starting to cut players. They must be down to a total of 75 players today. These aren’t easy decisions by NFL coaches because some of these athletes can play in the NFL. It’s possible that veteran players will be searching for a new home. One such player is running back Fred Jackson.
Jackson played his entire career with the Buffalo Bills. He was an undrafted rookie who made the Bills team in 2006. In his 8 years, he rushed for 5,646 yards and 30 touchdowns. His best year came in 2009. He had 1,062 rushing yards. His most touchdowns came in 2013 with a total of 9. Jackson is a respectable running back in the NFL, but was never voted into the Pro Bowl.
The Bills felt in the preseason they were satisfied with their other running backs. According to the democratandchronicle.com, General manager Doug Whaley said in a statement, “Today, we had to make the difficult decision to release Fred Jackson. He had an incredible career for this organization for the past 10 years. We thank Fred for his hard work, dedication and leadership during his tenure with the Buffalo Bills. Fred has inspired the city of Buffalo in a number of ways. Fred and his family have been dedicated to this community and we can’t thank them enough for their contributions through his career.”
LeSean McCoy will be the starter. The Bills were hoping Jackson would be a change of pace running back compared to McCoy. This is a move the Bills didn’t need to make. McCoy is one of the best running backs in the game but he could get hurt. By releasing Fred Jackson they won’t have a veteran running back. The backup is now Anthony Dixon. Dixon has a total of 10 touchdowns and 890 yards in his 5 years in the NFL. The Bills will miss Fred Jackson’s leadership.
Jackson will land an NFL job this year. He might have to wait until a few weeks into the NFL season when running backs are injured. Once that opportunity occurs, he will need to prove that the Bills made the wrong decision.
What do you think of the Bills releasing Fred Jackson?
Baltimore needs a running back!