Report: Steelers agreed to sign RB Jackson before Williams deal

By foxsports
Published

Running back DeAngelo Williams had a phenomenal Steelers debut last Thursday in New England, but it may not have been if not for some roster maneuvering by the Buffalo Bills this past offseason.

Back in March, the Steelers had ex-Bills running back Fred Jackson on their radar to fill in for the suspended Le'Veon Bell after Buffalo general manager Doug Whaley told Jackson he would be released following the acquisition of LeSean McCoy. Jackson was given permission to speak with other teams and Pittsburgh quickly had Jackson lined up for a one-year deal, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. 

The Bills' front office apparently had a change of heart, deciding that Jackson was too valuable to release. Of course, that all changed once again when Whaley decided to cut Jackson loose shortly after Buffalo's third preseason game, which ironically enough was against Pittsburgh.

Jackson said he was blindsided by the move and by Whaley, and ended up signing up with Seattle, where he will back up Marshawn Lynch.

Williams officially signed with the Steelers on March 13, lost a bunch of weight this summer and had his best game in years with 127 yards on 21 carries against the Patriots on Thursday night. He'll get one more chance to start this Sunday against San Francisco before Bell returns from his two-game suspension. 

(h/t: CBS Sports)