Jackson was placed on the reserve/retired list Thursday.
Jackson re-signed with the Lions on July 23 after appearing in 16 games with the team last season. He was expected to be competing with Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Mohamed Ibrahim for the team's No. 3 running back spot, while also possibly handling kick-return duties. Instead, he'll choose to pull himself out of the running and retire. If he does change his mind, Detroit will retain his rights and be able to bring him back in.