Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008 | 1:06 p.m.
All Steven Jackson has wanted this summer was to be paid like the elite-level running back he feels he's evolved into.
Thursday afternoon, his wishes were granted.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Jackson, an Eldorado High alum, and the St. Louis Rams have agreed to a six-year deal worth just under $44 million. The final two years will be void out based on Jackson's performance, and if that's the case, the four-year pact would total out at just around $30 million. The key note in the deal is the $20 million, give or take a few bucks, in guaranteed dough. $11 million of that comes in the form of a signing bonus.
The deal comes a day after Jackson ended a 27-day holdout from Rams training camp.
Jackson is widely considered to be one of the top veteran backs in the NFL in terms of being able to be both a ball carrier and receiver. For reference, two backs considered in his same class - Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook and San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson - have similar deals in place.
Westbrook signed a three-year, $21 million extension on Aug. 8 as sort of a re-structuring of a five-year deal he signed back in 2005. Tomlinson signed a six-year pact worth roughly $60 million, including $21 million in guarantees, in August of 2004.
In four seasons since being taken 24th overall by St. Louis in the 2004 NFL Draft, Jackson has amassed 4,249 rushing yards and 30 scores on the ground. He's also caught 190 passes for 1,586 more yards and six touchdowns. His best campaign to date came in 2006, when he rushed for 1,528 yards and caught 90 balls out of the backfield. Last year, despite getting off to a slow start because of injury, he finished 1,273 total yards and six touchdowns on a Rams squad which struggled to a 3-13 finish.
Quick Analysis ... To a healthy portion of the adult male population in the country, the month of August means it's time to gear up for your fantasy football draft. This should calm the nerves of several guys picking in the top four or five slots in theirs. But in all seriousness, the combination of Jackson's size (6-foot-2, 231 pounds), speed and track record of productivity makes him deserving of elite level money. Of course, there's always a risk when franchises invest lots of money and years on a deal to running backs, who take more punishment than most players on the field. That's why the guaranteed portion of the deal has become so important in recent years, with the odds of Jackson making it through all six years in perfect health pretty slim. That said, $20 million should be sufficient, right?
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