The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Jackson was conflicted. The years of losing with the St. Louis Rams had taken a toll. Unless a deal came across his agent’s desk that he liked, he was prepared to do a “Barry Sanders” and walk away from the game. "I was thinking about maybe retiring,” said Jackson, who signed his contract with the Falcons on Friday. “I really considered that. … I really contemplated ‘do I continue to play football’ or ‘do I retire.’ That’s one thing I admire about Barry Sanders.”

Diehards Line:Jackson voided the final year of his contract with the Rams that was set to pay him $7 million. He talked to the Green Bay Packers, but preferred the Falcons, who offered a three-year contract that was worth $12 million, with $4 million guaranteed. “It was something where I took my time with it,” said Jackson, who flew in to sign his contract from the Bahamas (where the NFLPA is meeting) on owner Arthur Blank’s private plane. “We had a number of teams that we were looking at.” Jackson said he picked the Falcons because of their recent success with five consecutive winning seasons. He also noted the Falcons’ appearance in the NFC Championship game and how they came up 10 yards short of the Super Bowl. "The philosophy and what coach (Mike) Smith brings, it just really made a lot of sense,” Jackson said. He also won’t mind splitting time with Jacquizz Rodgers in the backfield -- although that might depend on just how much sharing is actually involved. We'll be watching for more on that in coming weeks.