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Atlanta Falcons were wise to release Steven Jackson

By Nick Ziegler

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It’s that time once again in the NFL offseason when teams release players in order to save cap space heading into free agency. For the Atlanta Falcons one of those cap casualties has been veteran running back Steven Jackson.

The move to cut Jackson was a no-brainer and the right thing to do for the Falcons, as Jackson’s best days are long behind him. Letting him go will clear $3.75 million, which is a substantial amount of money to use elsewhere.

It’s been a great career for Jackson that started with the St. Louis Rams in 2004. Jackson was drafted 24th overall by the Rams in the 2004 NFL Draft, as with Marshall Faulk’s career winding down, the Rams needed to get the eventual replacement for Faulk.

In his rookie year nearly splitting carries with Faulk, Jackson showed good promise with a solid first season, as he rushed for 673 yards on 134 carries. Jackson’s 5.0 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns resulted in a good first season for Jackson.

2005 would be Faulk’s last season, but it was also the beginning of Jackson’s tenure as the Rams’ main running back. In 15 games in 2005, Jackson would eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.

In the first season after Faulk retired, Jackson would have his career-year, rushing for 1,528 yards with 13 touchdowns. In addition to his great season running the football, Jackson more than filled the void left behind by Faulk in the passing with 90 receptions for 806 yards. 2006 was a fantastic season for Jackson, and it resulted in the first of three Pro-Bowl selections.

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After eight straight seasons of 1,000 or more rushing yards with the Rams, Jackson would join the Falcons in 2013, as they hoped he would be their answer to a more balanced offense. In his first season with the Falcons, Jackson would be a big disappointment only playing in 12 games and rushing for 543 yards with a poor 3.5 YPC. Last season wouldn’t be much better for Jackson, as although he played in 15 games he only had 707 yards and a 3.7 YPC.

At 30-years-old when he joined the Falcons, Jackson’s smash mouth running style didn’t figure to be able to produce a long career in the NFL, as running back’s careers are generally short. Jackson will be 32-years old this summer, and with two straight poor seasons could have a difficult job finding a team in 2015.

On his own personal website SJ39.com, Jackson released a statement about his time with the Falcons, and what he has planned for the future.

“Now that the Atlanta Falcons and I have parted ways, I want to say thank you to the organization, and the entire city of Atlanta.

In terms of what we hoped to accomplish as a team on the field, my time as a Falcon was a disappointment, but I will always be grateful for how the city and franchise treated me while I was there. Mr. Blank is one of the classiest owners I’ve been lucky enough to meet, and I feel fortunate to have played for him. I was also fortunate enough to make some tremendous new friends while I was there, and I’ll continue to be a big brother to everyone I shared the backfield with. I wish the Falcons nothing but the best moving ahead.

A lot has been written lately about my future. There are questions about my age, and what I have left in the tank. Of that, I will simply say this. For the first nine years of my career, I was used like a battering ram, punishing opposing defenses over four quarters of a game. Maybe you stopped me the first five times I got the ball, but by the 15th or 20th time I got it, late in a game — let’s just say you were really feeling me at that point.

Make no mistake: I can still punish a defense. I still have a warrior’s heart. There are 1,000-yard seasons left in these legs. I know what I am still capable of, and I have every intention of proving it.”

Despite Jackson wanting to return next season, there’s always the possibility that teams will not be interested in the 32-year-old running back. If this is the end for Jackson, he will have finished his career with 11,388 rushing yards, which is the 16th most in NFL history.

Next: Who should the Falcons sign this offseason?

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