By Mark Gaughan
One might think Buffalo would be the last place Tarvaris Jackson would want to play this year after his experience in 2012. He was kept buried on the Bills' depth chart as the No. 3 quarterback behind Tyler Thigpen.
Nevertheless, Jackson said this week he was sold on returning to the Bills after his after-season conversation with Bills General Manager Buddy Nix.
"Before I left I had been talking to Buddy Nix and that was really one of the main reasons why I came back," Jackson said. "Just talking to him it seemed they really wanted me to come back. That was No. 1 on my list. It was a no-brainer.
"It was just talking about how things played out and it'll be a little different this year. I'll get a chance to compete, so that's all you can ask for."
Jackson, who turns 30 in a couple weeks, is 17-17 as a starting quarterback. Presuming the Bills follow through on their desire to take a rookie QB in the NFL Draft, it may not be easy for Jackson to rise up above No. 3 on the depth chart this year, either. The Bills have a deal with Kevin Kolb, who is 9-12 as an NFL starter.
Jackson said he liked the idea of staying where he had some familiarity. He wasn't expecting to be dealt from Seattle last August.
"This is a different year for me," Jackson said. "It's a new challenge for me, a new offense, a new team. The good thing about it is I've been here already. I'm familiar with the city. I'm familiar with the players, and now I'm trying to get familiar with the coaches. So that's a plus.
"When I was talking to Buddy before I left and he asked me one question, and it made a lot of sense. He said, 'I know you're tired of moving.' I said, 'Yeah I am.' That was a big part of it, just that whole transition again.
"The way I had to do it last year was kind of totally off guard. I kind of figured something was going to happen somewhere, but I didn't know exactly where. I think this is probably as far as you can get from Seattle, right? I had a long way to go."
