The NFL has announced that Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended for four games without pay for multiple violations of the league’s unnecessary roughness rules. Jackson, who has been fined four times and ejected twice this season for illegal hits, will miss games against Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota and Cleveland.
Jackson’s history of illegal hits
Jackson, who signed a one-year deal with the Broncos last spring, has been in the crosshairs of the officials regarding unnecessary roughness penalties numerous times this season. He has previously been fined a total of $89,670 for the following infractions:
- In Week 1, he was fined $15,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.
- In Week 2, he was fined $10,000 for a late hit on Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
- In Week 2, he was also ejected for a hit on Commanders tight end Logan Thomas, who suffered a concussion on the play. He was fined $20,961 for that hit.
- In Week 6, he was fined $43,709 for an unflagged hit on Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who also left the game with a head injury.
Jackson’s latest illegal hit and suspension
Jackson’s latest illegal hit came in the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 19-17 win over the Packers on Sunday. He delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of Packers tight end Luke Musgrave, who was deemed a defenseless receiver. Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the game. Musgrave did not return to the game and his status is unknown.
On Monday, Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, issued the suspension to Jackson for violations of the league’s unnecessary roughness rules. In a letter to Jackson, Runyan wrote:
You delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of a defenseless receiver, when you had the time and space to avoid such contact. You could have made contact with your opponent within the rules, yet you chose not to.
Runyan also noted Jackson’s multiple offenses for personal fouls this season for violating player safety-related rules. He wrote:
Your actions have jeopardized the health and safety of your opponents and yourself and they have clearly increased the risk of injury.
Jackson will lose about $589,000 in wages due to his suspension. He will be eligible to return to the team on Nov. 27 ahead of the Broncos’ Week 13 game at Houston.
Broncos’ reaction and replacement
The Broncos have not issued an official statement on Jackson’s suspension as of yet. However, some of his teammates have expressed their support for him on social media. Linebacker Von Miller posted a picture of him and Jackson on Instagram with the caption: “My brother for life. We ride together we die together.” Cornerback Patrick Surtain II tweeted: “KJ is one of the best safeties in the league. He plays with passion and intensity. He’s not a dirty player. He’s a leader and a mentor. We got your back bro.”
The Broncos will likely turn to PJ Locke to fill in for Jackson at safety. Locke, who replaced Jackson following his ejection on Sunday, secured Denver’s win over Green Bay with a late interception, the first of his career. Locke is a second-year player who joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has played in six games this season, mostly on special teams, and has recorded six tackles and one pass defensed.
