Jackson says Fuller, Simmons helped his return to Broncos

This time a week ago, if you would have asked Kareem Jackson if he’d be playing for the Denver Broncos next season, the answer would most likely have been “not at all.”

“Not at all. Just being honest with you, not at all,” the hard-hitting safety told “Orlando & Sandy” on Friday.

But, to paraphrase from The Beatles, Jackson got by with a little help from some friends — two in particular who helped Jackson’s return to the Mile High City for at least one more season: Justin Simmons and Kyle Fuller.

Jackson said he and Fuller chatted before the former Chicago Bears cornerback signed a one-year deal with Denver this week, saying that he was “very vocal” in his support for the veteran safety.

“He was basically saying he wanted to come if I was going to come back,” Jackson said.

As for Simmons — Jackson’s partner in the defensive backfield for the past two seasons — Jackson said he too was “vocal” in letting Broncos general manager George Paton know they wanted him back in 2021.

“For me, I think your locker room speaks volumes. Nobody knows the guys better than the guys who are in the locker room and around them,” Jackson said. “Obviously, what’s on tape is what’s on tape, but at the same time, I think as a GM and a head coach, you have to listen to your guys.”

Jackson said the Broncos did express they wanted him back, remarks which come on the heels of Paton saying at the beginning of free agency the team “left the door open for Kareem to come back.”

“… They expressed how much they wanted me back. It was just, obviously, a situation where we had to come to an agreement on a number,” Jackson said.

As for the the defense assembled by Paton so far this offseason, Jackson believes the unit can be as good as it wants to be.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to go out and put the work in on a daily basis, get on the same page, and guys have to see things from the same set of eyes in the secondary,” Jackson said. “But I think we definitely have the pieces to go out and be a great defense, if not the No. 1 defense, this year.”

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