The Buffalo Bills have released veteran running back Fred Jackson. The somewhat shocking news comes as the team prepares to cut its roster down to 75 players by Tuesday afternoon. Jackson has been a fan favorite in his eight seasons in Buffalo and was considered a leader in the locker room. The league's oldest running back was signed as a free agent out of small Division III Coe College in 2006.
A hard runner and a skilled receiver out of the backfield, Jackson rushed for 5,646 yards for the Bills and scored 30 touchdowns on the ground. He also totaled 2,640 yards through the air and tallied seven receiving TDs. Jackson is third on the list of Bills all-time rushing leaders, behind Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson.
General manager Doug Whaley, in a statement Monday morning, called it a "difficult decision."
“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,” said Whaley.
The 34-year-old Jackson is now free to sign with any team.
The Bills cut 12 players, in all, Monday morning. The list includes DE Michael Buchanan, CB Ross Cockrell, DT Justin Hamilton, LB Andrew Hudson, T Terren Jones, CB Ellis Lankster, S Kenny Ladler, S Wes Miller, G DJ Morrell, DE Cedric Reed and RB Ricky Seale.
