The St. Louis Rams added insurance at running back in case Steven Jackson misses time with a groin injury, signing Chauncey Washington off the New York Jets' practice squad.
The Rams made the move Tuesday, giving Washington three days of practice to prepare in case he's needed this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. Backup Kenneth Darby scored the go-ahead touchdown in Sunday's 30-16 victory over the Washington Redskins.
Jackson was injured during the second quarter. On his Twitter feed, Jackson said the groin was making progress, and he also reported he had undergone acupuncture treatment.
Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said Monday that he would leave it up to Jackson and team trainers whether the running back would be able to play against the Seahawks.
"Steven's a warrior, and you almost have to pull him back," Spagnuolo said. "What you don't want to do is get him out there too soon and set him back. We're all happy it wasn't anything worse, and now it's just a matter of treatments and making sure we don't make it any worse."
Washington is known as a hard-hitting special-teams player and a tough runner. He was a seventh-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008, and he appeared in six games as a rookie, primarily on special teams.
Last season, Washington bounced between the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad and active roster, appearing in two games. He eventually was signed off the Cowboys' practice squad onto the Jets' active roster late last season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
