FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Running back Steven Jackson has signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots for the veteran’s minimum.
Jackson, 32, is a veteran of 11 NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder originally entered the NFL as a first-round pick (24th overall) by St. Louis out of Oregon State in the 2004 draft.
Jackson joins the Patriots with 158 games played and 146 starts. He has amassed 2,743 career rushing attempts for 11,388 yards — the 18th-most in NFL history — and 68 touchdowns. He also has 460 pass receptions for 3,663 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jackson is now the only active running back in the NFL with at least 10,000 rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards and one of just 14 players in NFL history to accomplish that feat.
Jackson has eight career 1,000-yard rushing seasons, all consecutively from 2005 to 2011, and has been selected to three career Pro Bowls. He was named Associated Press second-team All-Pro in 2006 and 2009.
Jackson started 15 games for Atlanta last season and compiled 190 rushes for 707 yards and six touchdowns. He also posted 20 receptions for 148 yards.
Jackson brings a 4.2-yard career average to New England, though he averaged just 3.5 and 3.7 yards in his two injury-riddled years with Atlanta before his release last winter.
New England has lost running backs Dion Lewis (ACL) and LeGarrette Blount (hip) to injured reserve. In Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans the Patriots’ leading rusher was practice squad undrafted rookie call-up Joey Iosefa, who tallied 51 yards on 14 carries.
James White had a game-high seven catches for 71 yards and continues to see his role grow in the Patriots’ backfield, and he could be the featured back in a sense this week considering the Patriots had just four designed running plays in the first meeting against the New York Jets.
To make room for Jackson, the Patriots released defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen.