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Safety Kareem Jackson is slated to return to the Denver Broncos following his four-game suspension. The Broncos have until Monday, December 25, to gift Jackson an early Christmas present and activate him off the suspended list.
Head coach Sean Payton appeared to be in no rush to plug the veteran defender back into the starting lineup. During his December 22 press conference, Payton was noncommittal regarding Jackson’s availability ahead of Week 16 against the New England Patriots.
“There’s probably three or four things that we look at and communicate,” the veteran coach told reporters. “Look, we’ll just see where it’s at.”
Payton was then asked whether the team would decide by Saturday, December 23, for Jackson to play the following night. Again, he failed to reveal much, only mentioning “we got time” and saying the Broncos were “in good shape.”
“We’ll see,” Payton answered before moving on to the next question.
This was not the first time Payton was caught dragging his feet when discussing Jackson’s status.
“We have until Monday with his roster exemption,” Payton told reporters after practice on Wednesday, December 20. “Officially by Monday, if he comes up, someone else has to come down. We’re at 53 plus him, and then we’ll figure out how we’ll handle it relative to this week and going forward.”
Jackson was suspended after a hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs during a November 19 game. Dobbs fumbled on the play, which Denver recovered en route to a 21-20 win. The veteran defender was not flagged for the violent hit.
Kareem Jackson Expresses Hope About Returning to the Broncos
While Payton was tight-lipped regarding activating Jackson, the defender is hopeful about playing against the Patriots.
“It feels good,” Jackson said about returning to the locker room via Troy Renck of Denver7. “My relationship with these guys will always be bigger than just a game. I mean obviously we have built a bond through the game. But once we are all said and done, these are guys I plan on having a relationship with and hanging out with.”
Jackson was first suspended after a head-to-head hit on Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in Week 7. The hit resulted in Jackson’s second ejection of the season and a four-game suspension – reduced to two on appeal.
Despite his troubling list of infractions this season, Jackson maintained the best outlook he could during his forced time off.
“I worked out quite a bit. I have been playing this game my entire life. The game atmosphere is a little different than practice. But there aren’t any adjustments I can’t make,” Jackson told Renck.
What Role Will Kareem Jackson Have Whenever He Returns?
Whenever Jackson inevitably returns to the Broncos, what kind of role will he have upon his return to the lineup?
Jackson could see his role limited by the emergence of fourth-year safety P.J. Locke. The former Texas Longhorn is in the midst of the best season of his career in 2023.
Locke has three sacks, two forced fumbles, four passes defensed, an interception and 34 total tackles in nine appearances, including six starts.
Per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, those stats were accumulated in the seven games where he replaced Jackson. Locke went into the Week 15 loss at the Detroit Lions with a medical issue but played 56 of the defense’s 66 snaps.
If Locke is unable to go against the Patriots, Payton should consider activating Jackson. The veteran defender deserves one more chance to make the most of what could be his final opportunity in Denver.
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