Fred Jackson signs extension with Bills
All Fred Jackson wanted was to be rewarded for the job he's done. It took a while, but the Buffalo Bills finally granted his wish.
The veteran running back signed a contract extension on Wednesday, giving him financial stability and peace of mind.
Neither the Bills nor Jackson's agent, Jerry Douglas, would comment on the terms, but it is believed to be a four-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $2 million per year, plus incentives.
"Any time you sign a contract, you can definitely relax, but the process wasn't the process I thought it would be," Jackson said. "I thought it would be done smoother than it was, but we got it done and the No.‚1 thing now is just going to work and preparing for next season."
Jackson emerged as a valuable player in his second season with the Bills, rushing for 571 yards and three touchdowns on 130 carries and adding 37 catches for 317 yards as the backup to Marshawn Lynch.
The Bills and Jackson began contract talks shortly after last season, but Jackson was initially unhappy at the slow pace of negotiations. He missed the start of voluntary offseason conditioning before joining his teammates on April 6.
The Bills didn't have to give Jackson an extension. As an exclusive rights free agent, he couldn't negotiate with or sign with another team once the Bills made the minimum one-year tender offer of $460,000 in late February. But the two sides continued discussions until the impasse was broken and a deal was hammered out.
It is not known how close Jackson's contract is to the four-year, $10 million contracts the Denver Broncos gave to backup running backs Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington. But Jackson is pleased with his deal.
"The terms that we came to, we didn't quite agree on in the beginning," he said. "You can say there was some frustration at times, but I think that's part of the process. Today's the day it's over and done with and now we have to play football."
Getting this deal done was important for the Bills because Jackson is expected to open the season as the starter because of Lynch's three-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The team has a great deal of confidence in Jackson, and with good reason. The offense didn't experience much of a drop-off when he was in the game.
Jackson stepped up when Lynch went down with an injury during the Week 16 game at Denver and ran for 43 yards while scoring the game-winning touchdown on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter. He also set up another fourth-quarter TD with a 65-yard reception, the seventh longest non-scoring pass play in Bills history.
Jackson started the following week and set career highs with 27 carries and 136 yards in the season finale against New England.
"It's one of the things I'm looking forward to," Jackson said of being the opening-day starter. "I'm not too happy about the way that it's going down, that I'm going to be in the starting role in the first three games, but it's the dream of every kid who plays football. They want to go into the season knowing they're the starter and that they have to carry the load. I'm excited about it and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
The Bills signed Indianapolis Colts free agent Dominic Rhodes, who also has designs on the starting job. Jackson doesn't look at Rhodes as a threat, but as good competition for him and Lynch.
"You see some of the things he's done and some of the plays he makes, it makes you compete with him, and I looked at it as another player that's going to come in and help us," Jackson said. "When he's called upon, I think he'll make plays for us and I'm just excited to play with him."
Don't bet against Jackson in any competition, considering the odds he has already beaten.
Undrafted out of Division III Coe College, he embarked on a long journey that included two years in an indoor football league and one year in NFL Europa before getting a chance to play in the NFL.
"To get something you want you're going to have to work for it, and that's just the approach that I took," said Jackson, who was on the Bills' practice squad in 2006 before earning a regular roster spot the following year.
"Not everybody gets to the NFL. Fortunately, I was able to get in, get my foot in the door, and I was able to take advantage of the opportunity, so I'm blessed more than anything. I'm happy that I took the road that I took because I'm very appreciative of being here now and having the success that I have had."
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