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Tackle Grady Jackson, whose midseason addition hardened Green Bay's defensive line and helped the Packers reach the playoffs, has signed a two-year contract extension.
The Packers went 6-2 after they claimed the sumo-sized Jackson off waivers from New Orleans, where coach Jim Haslett jettisoned him for insubordination.
A model player
in Green Bay, Jackson provided the push up the middle that was lacking to collapse
the pocket and allowed the Packers to better rotate their linemen, whose productivity
increased accordingly.
Jackson had a season-high six tackles in Green Bay's 31-3 victory over Denver
on Sunday, finishing with 25 tackles, 13 of them solo, 2 1/2 sacks and a forced
fumble in eight games for the Packers.
Jackson's deal was completed before the NFL deadline Saturday, allowing the Packers to charge some of his signing bonus to the 2003 salary cap. Team negotiator Andrew Brandt refused to reveal terms of the contract, and Jackson's agent, Bus Cook, didn't return phone messages left at his office and home.
Cook also is quarterback Brett Favre's agent and Brandt was among five people in the organization who flew to Irvin Favre's funeral in Mississippi last week.
``As it worked out because of Brett's misfortune, we were together a lot this last week and we started talking about Grady Jackson,'' Brandt told The Associated Press on Sunday night. ``Things moved rather quickly.''
The Packers actually thought they had Jackson signed last year but the Saints swooped in at the last minute and offered him more money, a two-year, $3.75 million deal with a $750,000 signing bonus.
He had a solid season last year, registering 55 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries. He had six solo tackles in a win over the Packers, against whom he also had big games while playing for Oakland his first five seasons.
The Packers snatched up Jackson when he was waived by the Saints two months ago after his weight ballooned past 370 and management disagreed with him over the severity of a finger injury.
The Packers had to absorb $470,588 of his $1 million base salary.
Jackson played so well for the Packers that coach and general manager Mike Sherman decided he couldn't afford to lose him in unrestricted free agency -- which he sort of did last season.
For his part, Jackson said he regrets not coming to Green Bay sooner.
``This place has been a
great fit for me. I never should have signed with the Saints and I feel like
this is a second chance for me and I'm going to make the most of it,'' Jackson
said.