“Today, we had to make the difficult decision to release Fred Jackson,” says Bills General manager Doug Whaley. Jackson was Buffalos third all-time leading rusher in franchise history, behind Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson, and was last seasons leading rusher with 525 yards on 141 carries and two touchdowns. He also lead the Bills with 66 catches.
Whaley also showed gratitude towards Jacksons legacy on and off the field, 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.”
At 34, Jackson was the oldest running back entering training camp and his age was starting to show after suffering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two weeks of camp. But even so, he was able to have a solid preseason game against the Steelers, running for 41 yards on his first carry and padding on a 1 yard TD.
Now that hes been released, the Bills have to find an immediate option at running back with LeSean McCoy hobbling with a hamstring injury and rookie back Karlos Williams still sitting out of practices due to illness. So they need an answer and need one fast since they open on September 13th against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.
With 1,279 career-rushing attempts, Jackson gained 5,646 yards and scored 30 touchdowns in 9 years with the Bills.
