Kareem Jackson (Photo Credit: Fox News)
The NFL has given Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson a four-game suspension for repeatedly breaking the rules against unnecessary roughness.
Jackson’s Appeal and Potential Loss of Salary
Jackson is currently appealing this suspension. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, if the four-game suspension isn’t overturned on appeal, Jackson stands to lose $558,889 in salary.
The Incident Leading to Suspension
The incident that led to his ejection and suspension occurred during the Sunday game against the Green Bay Packers. Jackson delivered a sideline hit to Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in the fourth quarter. This was the second time this season that Jackson was ejected for an illegal hit.
NFL’s Letter to Jackson and Previous Violations
The NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations, Jon Runyan, wrote a letter to Jackson, saying, “On the play in question, 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.”
Furthermore, Runyan pointed out that Jackson had multiple previous violations of player safety rules. Before the game, Jackson faced four fines this season for rough play, amounting to $89,670 in total penalties.
Games Jackson Will Miss Due to Suspension
Jackson got ejected in Week 2 versus the Washington Commanders for a hit on tight end Logan Thomas.
If Jackson’s suspension stands, he will be absent from the Broncos’ upcoming games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns. He would be eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, November 27.
Controversy Surrounding the Hit on Luke Musgrave
In the Musgrave incident, Broncos players believed Jackson used his shoulder, making contact just below the head and neck area. On the other side, Green Bay players and coaches reacted strongly on the sideline after the play.
Before the suspension was announced, Broncos coach Sean Payton defended Jackson, saying, “I know Kareem, I know his heart and the way he’s played. I think it’s an easy narrative to say, ‘Well, he’s just an old-timer playing in a new-timer’s game.’ When you see the play, his head is removed from the forceable contact. Defenseless is a little bit more of an issue relative to the position the receiver’s in.”
Historical Context of Player-Safety Violations
Jackson’s suspension is the longest punishment for violating player-safety rules since 2019 when Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns received an indefinite suspension for hitting the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Mason Rudolph with the quarterback’s helmet, causing him to miss six games. In the same year, Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict was suspended for 12 games for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle due to repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules.
This report used Information from ESPN.
