Report: St. Louis Rams allow Steven Jackson to enter free agency early
Steven Jackson will become a free agent a year early. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Rams have voided the final year of Steven Jackson's contract, allowing the running back to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season, according to Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.
Even though Jackson didn't reach the required incentives to void out the final two years of his contract, the team has decided to allow him to void the final year (2013) anyway, which means Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season.
The Rams' 2004 first-round draft pick rushed for 1,145 yards in 2011 but did not meet the incentives required to void his 2013 contract and base salary of $7 million.
The incentives Jackson needed to reach to void the years, according to a league source, was averaging 1,200 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards from 2008-2011. He hit the rushing numbers, but fell short on the receiving averages. But this is a strange move when you consider the Rams had him under contract and now are willing to just let one of the team's long-time stars walk without even the possibility of trading him or asking him to take a cut this year for letting him out of the deal a year early.
