Sean Payton told Kareem Jackson don’t mess up team’s hot streak

The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton will welcome back safety Kareem Jackson from his two-game suspension this week.

And they might need him in a big way with P.J. Locke on the injury report for a second straight day.

Jackson is still a good player, but he’s been ejected twice already this season and then hit with the suspension after his high-shot against the Packers.

Without Jackson, Denver finished off Green Bay and then beat both the Chiefs and Bills in stunning upsets. Payton said on Thursday he told Jackson not to come back and kill the team’s momentum.

“Looks, it’s only been two weeks. He’s in good shape. It’s good to have him back. I told him, ‘we’re on a little bit of a roll, don’t mess anything up now.’ But he’s doing good,” Payton said.

Jackson spoke with reporters in the locker room and shared a similar story. It came in the form of a phone call from Payton earlier this week.

Kareem Jackson said Sean Payton called him at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.

“I can’t say exactly the words, but he’s like, ‘We’re rolling; don’t you come in and mess it up.’” pic.twitter.com/v7SKvqHKvp

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 16, 2023

To be fair to Payton, he has point. When Jackson got ejected against the Commanders, the team was up 21-3 and it totally swung the vibe of the game. The Broncos would go on to lose to Washington by a final score of 35-33. Against the Packers, it had a similar feeling, but Denver held on for a 19-17 win with a stop in the final seconds.

Jackson will be back out there on Sunday Night Football against the Vikings, but the message from the head coach is clear. He wants the veteran to keep the tackles clean and don’t hurt the Broncos’ chances at a fourth straight victory.