Kareem Jackson’s suspension is over, but no guarantees he’s back
Dec 20, 2023, 2:58 PM
Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson is eligible to play this week against the Patriots.
That doesn’t mean he will.
Jackson, whose four-game suspension is officially over, was back with the team on Wednesday. But head coach Sean Payton made it clear they don’t have to make a decision on his status on the 53-man roster until next Monday. There’s a chance he won’t be out there on Christmas Eve against the Patriots.
“When he comes up officially by Monday, you know if he comes up, someone else has to come down. So, we’re at 53 (players) plus him. And then we’ll figure out how we’re going to handle it relative to this week and going forward,” Payton said.
In Jackson’s absence, backup safety P.J. Locke has played relatively well. Locke had a tough night on Saturday in Detroit, but then again, so did everyone on the Broncos defense. Denver gave up a whopping 42 points to the Lions.
On the season, Locke has 34 tackles, four passes defended, three sacks and an interception. He’s played in nine games, while Jackson’s appeared in just eight thanks to his two suspensions. He was ejected against both the Commanders and Packers and earned a four-game suspension for a hit on QB Joshua Dobbs versus the Vikings.
When asked if there’s a chance Jackson doesn’t come back this week, Payton didn’t dismiss it.
“Listen, it’s been four weeks, all those things are a possibility. It’s still something we’re kind of going through relative to packages,” Payton said.
In the meantime, Jackson has met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and isn’t sure how he’s supposed to play the game moving forward. He’s had three hits this year that have caught the attention of the league, resulting in the two ejections and two suspensions.
It sounds like Payton is happy with how Locke has played, saying “there’s been a lot of good things.” Whether it be performance based or Payton not totally trusting Jackson, either could be the reason it’s still up in the air.
The Broncos have just a couple days to decide which direction they want to go.
