Kareem Jackson has had disciplinary issues for unnecessary roughness throughout the season, and his latest infraction will result in a lengthy ban. The veteran Broncos safety was handed a four-game suspension on Monday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Jackson was ejected after delivering a hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (video link). That marked the second time this year he was removed from a game, and added further to his issues with respect to discipline in 2023. He had accumulated four unnecessary roughness fines prior to Week 7 totaling nearly $90K.
As is his right, Jackson is appealing the ban, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. That process will give him the opportunity to have the suspension reduced, but it is likely he will nevertheless have to miss some time given the accumulation of league discipline already handed down by the league in Jackson’s case. The 35-year-old’s recent history was taken into account, NFL VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan noted in a letter to Jackson.
The former first-rounder re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year deal this offseason, continuing his stay in the Mile High City. Jackson played his 200th regular season game on Sunday, 68 of which have come in Denver. Like fellow veteran safety Justin Simmons, Jackson has been floated as a potential trade chip ahead of the October 31 deadline.
Of course, his value will be hindered considerably if his suspension is upheld. Jackson has racked up 42 tackles and a pair of interceptions despite being forced out of two of his appearances early this season, though, so if his appeal is successful he could still garner interest from a contending team. For the time being, attention will turn to his appeal process, which will be heard by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash, the league’s appeals officers.
Fourth-year Bronco P.J. Locke filled in for Jackson after he was ejected, and he recorded his first career interception in Denver’s win over Green Bay. Locke, 26, will likely handle a starter’s workload for however long Jackson is sidelined.
Finally!!!!! Dirty hits.
QBs who hang their receivers out to dry should probably be fined as well.
Stick to golf…there are guys in the HOF because of their hitting…this is football after all NOT golf…it’s a contact sport stop the pussification of football
Wisco is a living example of CTE.
Some of Jackson’s hits were over the line. Some were clearly not. He has a reputation at this point that will not go away.
When you watch him, it’s clear on some of the hits that Jackson is using his pads and not his helmet, but he comes in so hard that the hit looks worse than it is. That’s why he hasn’t been flagged for all of his finable offenses. But it’s also clear that he is willing to take the chance of a bad hit for the potential of a big play. Unfortunately for Jackson, the NFL does not want any semblance of those types of plays, and he is not helping his cause by giving them good tape of bad hits, too.
I don’t think that they’re dirty necessarily, because he does not have a history of that and only became a hard hitting safety in the last few years. I do think that he is reckless with how often he goes for that hit, regardless of the circumstances. Jackson hits harder than most players, and he’s not being careful enough with how he is doing it in today’s NFL. The Broncos are already hurting in the safety department-a veteran like Jackson (whose play recognition contributes to his hard hitting by allowing him to recognize routes) should know that.
Did you even watch the play? Clear replays show the shoulder pads. The nfl is soft these days and just trying to make him the poster boy to play soft. Wipe the Cheeto dust off.
Along with other Safeties. People don’t take into consideration these TEs are bigger than DBs so bringing smoke is what it takes. Because natural ‘football’ movements, by both players is to use the shoulder referees error on the side of woke moms and call too many roughing penalties. If you played the game at high school to college level you’d know hits are hits. If you want soft then make the game flag football
Let the players play.
Thank you JO2….jackson listed at 5’10 183#….Musgrave 6’6 253#…if the guy wants to tackle him he has to come with some smoke..
Yeah, that didn’t really seem like a hit that was worth 4 games. The players are so fast/strong .. and Musgrave is a BIG dude.
The suspension feels mostly reputation based like what they do with Draymond Green in the NBA.
He should have been suspended after his last dirty hit.
That happened in Week 2 vs. Washington, when Jackson was disqualified for going helmet-to-helmet on Logan Thomas who was catching the Commanders’ first TD.
So if the QB throws a hospital ball, as was the case here, the DB is just supposed to let the receiver catch it? That receiver has 70lbs on Jackson.
Hospital ball. Lol. I will be stealing that.
That’s just old time football. The NFL needs to switch to flag football if this type of hit gets someone suspended.
It’s not like they’re not already pushing it harder than a week old crust of bread…
Flag football is not fun, it’s the worst. Sorry to those that offends.
I fully support hard aggressive defensive play but a defender has to use sensible judgement. If the offensive player is exposed and completely unable to protect himself then you can’t just tee off on him. Smart players know that what goes around comes around, so if you engage in cheap shots, eventually you’ll find yourself on the receiving end.
He was attempting to go low and lead with the shoulder. The thing that everyone says you should do. He has no control on the receiver falling down at the same time. That was a clean play. The only reason he got ejected and is getting suspended is because of who he is.
There’s no question a player’s reputation follows him around and can influence game officials. Looking at that replay it seemed obvious Musgrave would have been going to the ground even had no contact been made.
Sounds like y’all want to legalize headhunting. The NFL isn’t going to wait until someone gets killed or maimed before it cracks down.
(Though the league did warn clubs and players about fighting in the wake of the Giants-Bills game that should’ve seen at least 1 player disqualified.)
Don’t think that was ‘headhuntin’. Part of tackling is to dislodge the ball, if Jackson had been 2 tenths of a second sooner he’d of hit the TE in the bicep area and maybe accomplished that. Timing can’t always be precise.
Headhunting I’d classify as ‘when a player shucks another in the neck area’ during a tackle. I’ve seen 4-5 of these this year in ‘game highlight’ videos and wondered why these seem exempt from penalty.
Maim by definition is to permanently injure..you don’t think that happens now…see Alex Smith’s leg..these guys know the risks of the game they signed up for
Or Joe Theisman
The modern day Chuck Cecil!
This is crap. That was a clean play.
I get he has a history and the league wants to crack down but 4 games seems a bit much.
Bountygate Sean Payton should be suspended. Looks like head hunting follows Sean Payton around wherever he goes.
Alec, wipe the Cheeto dust off brother.
What are you talking about?