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It has long been assumed that St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson would opt out of the final year of his contract and enter free agency. Despite not hitting the necessary statistical plateaus to trigger the ability to void the final year of his deal, the Rams elected to allow Jackson the ability to do so anyway.

Now Jackson appears to be exercising that option.

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jackson will void the final year of his contract and elect to test the free agent market. By choosing to void his deal, Jackson is leaving $7 million on the table he was scheduled to make next season. However, it was unlikely the Rams were going to be able to keep him on the roster at that price.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has expressed a desire to keep Jackson in St. Louis and that discussions have gone well so far with Jackson’s agent. Jackson said in December he was “very optimistic” he’d finish his NFL career with the Rams.

But Jackson will still hit free agency for the first time in his nine-year NFL career on March 12. The Rams career rushing leader has rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight of his nine seasons and rushed for 10,135 yards and 56 touchdowns for his career.