Bills RB Fred Jackson (groin) hopes to return to practice Wednesday

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson hoped to return to practice with the team Wednesday.

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson hopes to return to practice with the team on Wednesday, Jackson told the Bills' official website.

Jackson injured his groin in Buffalo's Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 19. His injury typically keeps players out for four weeks, but Jackson appears ahead of schedule and seems likely to return early.

The veteran worked on the side with athletic trainers and strength coaches at Monday's practice, and practicing Wednesday would potentially allow Jackson to play in the Bills' game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday or return for their game the following Thursday at the Miami Dolphins.

“We’ll see what the doctors say,” Jackson said to the team's website following his Monday workout. “I’ll meet with them (Tuesday). They wanted to see how things went. Things went well today. I was able to move around on it a little bit. So I’ll meet with them again in the morning and I think we’ll decide then.”

“There’s always a chance that I don’t play this week and then play next week,” he said. “It’s going to come down to what the doctors decide or what they feel like after they evaluate me. They might say, ‘We don’t think you’re ready this week, but you can play next week.’ Or they might say, ‘You can’t play in either game.’ Hopefully it’s not the latter, but I’ll do whatever I can to get back as soon as I can.”

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The four-week timeframe would keep Jackson out until Buffalo's game against the New York Jets on Nov. 23, 10 days after the Dolphins game.

Jackson's injury came in the same game that fellow running back C.J. Spillerbroke his collarbone, ending his season and dealing a dual blow to the team's backfield.

In the one game Buffalo has played since Jackson and Spiller's injuries, Anthony Dixon had 22 carries for 44 yards and Bryce Brown had seven carries for 15 yards against the Jets in Week 8. The pair is expected to get the bulk of the carries as long as Jackson remains out.

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Jackson has 239 rushing yards, 261 receiving yards and two total touchdowns this season and 5,360 rushing yards total in eight seasons with the Bills. In the offseason, he signed a one-year contract extension that keeps the eighth-year pro with the Bills through the 2015 season.

The Bills are 5-3 this season and tied for second place in the AFC East.

- Ben Estes