As expected, Jackson voided his contract with the St. Louis Rams on Thursday, making the 29-year-old an unrestricted free agent.

Jackson, the Rams’ career rushing leader, didn’t totally rule out a reduced role should he land with a contender. He never has played for a winning team over his nine-year career.

“Well, that’s where a very open dialogue has to take place,” he said. “I have opted out of my position of being with the team and being comfortable because I want to continue to still be the bell cow. So that’s how I want teams to look at me, that’s how I’m going to shop myself, and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there if that’s not the feedback we’re receiving.”

A three-time Pro Bowler, Jackson has topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of the last eight seasons. According to ESPN Stats & Information, only three players in NFL history have a longer streak of consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons than Jackson’s current run: Emmitt Smith (11 from 1991-01), Curtis Martin (10 from 1995-04) and Barry Sanders (10 from 1989-98). All are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jackson rushed for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns last season. He has 2,395 carries for 10,135 yards and 56 touchdowns over his career.

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However, the Phoenix faithful showered Nash with plenty of appreciation during a first-quarter timeout, as the video screen showed a highlight reel from the two-time MVP’s eight seasons with the Suns, while Diddy’s “Coming Home” blasted over the loudspeakers.

Canadian flags waved, homemade “We Love Steve” signs were held up and the majority of U.S. Airways Center gave Nash a standing ovation after taking in a video that showed off the point guard throwing alley-oop passes, swishing 3-pointers with ease and sporting a variety of haircuts.

“It was a great reception; obviously this is a very special place for me,” Nash said after finishing with 11 points and two assists in the Lakers’ 92-86 loss to the Suns. “To be in front of these incredible fans — I’m very grateful for the reception but also for my time here, which was the best years of my life.”

After seeing the Suns’ video tribute, Nash said, “Very flattering and very sweet of the organization. It was very kind of them.”

Nash was drafted by the Suns with the 15th overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first two seasons in Phoenix before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He had a big game the last time he returned to Phoenix as a visitor, racking up nine points and 14 assists on April 3, 2004, as a member of the Mavs. The Suns signed him as a free agent in 2004 and he went on to win two MVP awards.

“I really want our team to try to get a win and continue to improve,” Nash said before the game when asked if he wanted to have an impactful performance in his return Wednesday. “It has been a really up-and-down season, obviously. I hope a little bit of momentum can keep us going.”

Nash, who turns 39 in February, said he had planned to retire with the Suns before the offseason unfolded.

“I thought that’s the way it was going. I thought I would retire in Phoenix. But it’s a difficult business to make any sort of predictions like that,” Nash said. “It just became apparent in the last couple months before free agency that that wouldn’t be a home run, and that’s when other options started to become a reality. … It just felt like they wanted to perhaps go in a new direction.”

It was also a homecoming of sorts for Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni, who was with Nash in Phoenix from 2003-08, taking the team to two Western Conference finals.

“Sometimes you have a bunch of guys that you think everywhere should be like this and you take it for granted how they clicked and how good it was and how much fun it was to watch them every day,” D’Antoni said. “You kind of take it for granted after a while.

“You’re chasing the championship, you’re chasing this and you forget what we had was good and sometimes you should take care of it a little bit better. I probably didn’t do that.”

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Swisher passed his physical with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday and signed the four-year, $56 million, free-agent contract he agreed to last month.

The 32-year-old Swisher, born in Columbus, Ohio, will be introduced at a news conference later at Progressive Field. Swisher’s deal includes a vesting option based on plate appearances for 2017.

After trading Shin-Soo Choo last month, the Indians were desperate for a proven right fielder. They pursued Shane Victorino at the winter meetings. But after he signed with Boston, the Indians turned their attention to Swisher, who batted .272 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs last season — his fourth with the New York Yankees.

A switch hitter, Swisher should provide power and versatility to new manager Terry Francona’s lineup. The Indians only hit 136 homers last season, second-fewest in the AL.

Swisher drew interest from several teams, but the Indians were the most aggressive and used his Ohio connections to convince him to come to Cleveland.

When Swisher and his wife, actress Joanna Garcia Swisher, visited Cleveland last month, the club rolled out the scarlet-and-gray carpet to impress them. Swisher attended Ohio State, where he played baseball. The Indians brought in former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to have lunch with Swisher, and the team also had recorded messages from coach Urban Meyer as well as Buckeyes basketball coach Thad Matta play on the giant scoreboard, urging him to come “home.”

Francona’s arrival in Cleveland also had an impact on Swisher.

Swisher’s father, Steve, managed Francona in the minor leagues. Francona has known Swisher since he was a kid.

Swisher is just one of three American Leaguers to hit at least 20 homers in each of the past eight seasons. He’s a career .256 hitter with 209 homers and 673 RBIs in nine seasons with Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Yankees.

With New York concerned about avoiding the luxury tax in the future, the Yankees did not go after Swisher after he turned down a qualifying offer from them. Once Swisher signed with the Indians, New York general manager Brian Cashman said he thought “Cleveland got a bargain.”

Swisher made the AL’s All-Star team in 2010, when he batted .288 with 29 homers and 89 RBIs.

His signing is among many moves made this offseason by the Indians, who collapsed in August — going 5-24 — and finished 68-94 last season. The first change may have been the biggest as manager Manny Acta was fired and replaced by Francona, who won two World Series titles with Boston.

Cleveland also signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds and acquired center fielder Drew Stubbs and prized-pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a nine-player, three-team trade with Cincinnati and Arizona.

The Indians have an agreement with right-hander Brett Myers on a one-year, $7 million contract pending a physical. Myers likely would take one of the openings in the club’s starting rotation.

Cleveland remains in the market for a designated hitter.

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