Kareem Jackson was, without a doubt, the best signing of the last offseason for the Denver Broncos.
But, his first season with Denver has come to an earlier than expected ending; the NFL suspended Jackson for the final two games due to a DUI stemming back to September. That huge misstep off the field now means Jackson — the sensational safety — can’t keep making huge plays on the field. At least for this season.
A statement from the Broncos on Tuesday reads: “Kareem Jackson was arrested for driving under the influence on Thursday, Sept. 19. He immediately informed our team of the incident, which we promptly reported to the NFL and thoroughly reviewed as an organization.
“There are high standards for the personal conduct of all members of our organization, and we have expressed our extreme disappointment to Kareem for his poor judgment. Under the NFL Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse, he has been suspended for the Broncos’ final two games of the 2019 season.”
Jackson’s been incredible for the Broncos this year in the secondary. He’s racked up 71 combined tackles, four of them for a loss, with two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Broncos fans will remember his incredible game nine days ago against his former hometown team the Houston Texans; his 11 tackles and pick-6 led to an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award. And that fumble recovery? It came in the team’s first victory of the season, in Week 5 in LA as he knocked the ball out of Austin Ekeler’s hands at the goal line to save a touchdown.
Simply, Jackson has been a human highlight reel, lighting up opposing receivers and forcing turnovers all year long.
Speaking of huge hits; he collided with DeAndre Hopkins in a fury which left Hopkins without the ball and saved a third down conversion in Houston, too.
But, Jackson’s DUI is now bad for the Broncos for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, Jackson is one of the team’s veteran stars on the defensive side of the ball. He should be acting as a role model for the younger players. And secondly, he should be out on the field helping Denver’s defense for the final two games of the year. The Broncos will likely now start Will Parks alongside Justin Simmons, who was snubbed for the Pro Bowl it was announced on Tuesday night. These final two games don’t matter much, with Denver eliminated from the playoffs, but now Jackson has to watch from the sidelines.
Moving forward, the Broncos have Jackson under contract for the next two seasons, and they have an option to cut him after 2021 with a $3 million cap hit. The way the strong safety has played — like a man on fire, making tackles like a linebacker — it’s likely we see him in a Broncos uniform through at least 2022.
