Steven Jackson approaches another milestone in St. Louis Rams’ win Sunday

It seemed unlikely back in September, but Steven Jackson–after a 19 carry, 81-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday–is now just 10 yards away from a 1,000 yard season. That would be the eighth in a row for the St. Louis Rams‘ all-time leading rusher, just in case you’ve lost count. It also pushed him past Ricky Williams on the NFL’s all-time rushing leaderboard, which could end up feeling a little less consequential than it does in the moment, once we all kind of forget just how weird Ricky Williams’s career was.

What does all this mean for Steven Jackson’s future? Well, it means his career isn’t over, like some very impulsive regional website editors suspected it was earlier this season. But it doesn’t answer the more local question–whether the Rams will actually be able and inclined to keep him around.

But it’s looking slightly more likely–if nothing else–than it did back in September. Jackson has proven he’s still ready to play for a team that’s ready to contend, and the Rams have looked, improbably enough, like a team that’s ready to contend.