Steven Jackson currently holds the title of the National Football League's active rushing leader, and he is nearing yet another milestone in his storied career.
As the Atlanta Falcons prepare to host the Chicago Bears in Week 6, SJax sits at 10,919 yards: just 81 yards shy of 11,000 rushing yards for his career.
SJ39 is No. 20 all-time on the NFL's career rushing list, just behind former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Atlanta Falcon Warrick Dunn, whom Steven would pass on his way to 11K.
S-Jax passed his last major milestone—10,000 yards rushing—in Week 15 of the 2012 season against the Minnesota Vikings while playing for the St. Louis Rams. He tallied 73 rushing and 73 receiving yards on that day and passed the mark in the fourth quarter, becoming just the 15th player to hit 10K all with one team.
"I have had some great success," Steven said after hitting 10K. "I’ve been blessed. I have an amazing support group in my family and my mom and dad. I never forget that I was a young guy just dreaming of being a part of the NFL. When you hope and wish you never know if its going to come true. But i’ve consistently been able to show up and be a blue-nosed hard-working kind of guy."
He also passed the 7,000-yard milemarker against a different NFC North foe, the Detroit Lions in 2010, with a seven-yard first-quarter run.
Steven will try to hit another milestone against another NFC North opponent when the Bears visit the Georgia Dome Sunday. In doing so, he'd pass Dunn (10,967), become the 19th player to rush for 11K and sit on the heels of the No. 18 all-time rusher, Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson (11,236). He's also within striking distance of the Top 16 with Corey Dillon (11,241), and John Riggins (11,352) just ahead of Simpson.
The Bears are currently 16th in the league in rush defense, allowing 116 yards per contest—though they haven't allowed an individual rusher to record 81 yards so far this year.
Atlanta and Chicago are set for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will air on FOX.