The Buffalo Bills placed running back Fred Jackson on season-ending injured reserve with a fractured fibula, the team announced Wednesday, shortly after a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora about the move.
Jackson's injury typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to heal, the source told La Canfora, so it shouldn't be of any long-term concern. Still, it was enough to end Jackson's season.
"Further tests on Fred's injured leg have shown that he has a broken bone in his leg, so that's disappointing news for our team and certainly for Fred," Bills coach Chan Gailey said Wednesday in a statement released by the team. "He was having a great year. The process for Fred to return to the field would most likely take him through the end of the season, so we have made the difficult decision to place him on injured reserve."
Gailey said running back C.J. Spiller would start Sunday against the New York Jets.
The Bills also picked up running back Tashard Choice off waivers from the Washington Redskins, who released him Tuesday after he played in only one game with the team. Choice, who played for Gailey at Georgia Tech, started the season with the Dallas Cowboys, who also cut him.
Losing Jackson isn't what the Bills (5-5) need as they fade from playoff contention with a three-game losing streak. Entering last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins, he led the NFL in rushing (he's now third with 934 yards), and his 1,376 yards from scrimmage through 10 games ranks behind only Chicago's Matt Forte (1,391).
"Thanks #BillsMafia for all the support!" Jackson tweeted after the news of his season-ending injury came out. "I need everyone of u to continue to support my teammates the way u have all season! Still a lot of Football to be played! This is jus a small bump in the road for me! Lookin 4ward to comin back and finishin the rest of my career in Buff.
"#BillsMafia Keep sendin in those Probowl votes," Jackson said. "I wanna play 1 more game this season!! I need ur help to do it. Can't go out like this."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
