Sorry, Kareem Jackson . The hard-hitting Denver Broncos safety received a no after he appealed his second straight suspension this season for violating player-safety rules.
Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks heard Jackson’s appeal on Tuesday. He was jointly appointed by both the NFL and NFLPA to handle such situations. Brooks lessened Jackson’s penalty earlier this season. But he kept it as is for the second violation, which happened last Sunday, Jackson’s first week back from the first suspension. In fact, Jackson got into trouble within the opening two minutes of the Broncos game against the Vikings. He laid an iffy hit on Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs the first chance he could. He hit Hobbs with the crown of his helmet on the Vikings third play. And leading with your helmet never is a good idea.
On Monday, Jon Runyan, the NFL’s VP for football operations, sent a letter to the 35-year-old Broncos vet and former Alabama standout. He wrote: “on the play in question, you lowered your head and delivered a forceful blow to the shoulder and head/neck area of an opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact. You could have made contact with your opponent within the rules, yet you chose not to.”
Jackson got into the NFL crosshairs on Oct. 22 when he made a questionable, helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave. The league suspended him for four games. But Brooks chopped it in half. Jackson then returned for the Broncos-Vikings. And he immediately showed that he couldn’t follow the safety rules.
That shouldn’t have been a surprise since in the days after his first suspension he said he still was seeking clarity on what he was doing wrong.
“It’s a gray area when it comes to the rules that have been put in place, in my opinion,” Jackson told reporters. “Nothing is black and white.” The Athletic reported that Jackson spoke to Runyan several times to try and make sure he wouldn’t repeat the same hits. Apparently, it didn’t take.
Jackson now must miss four games as the Broncos finally are turning their season around. Denver started the season by dropping their first three games. However, the Broncos now have won four straight, including the game against the Vikings, to even their record at 5-5.
Jackson seemed to address his suspension with a post on social media. He shared a video clip from Tom Brady. And the superstar quarterback said that offensive players should learn to protect themselves, that it’s not the defense’s player’s responsibility.
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