ENGLEWOOD, Col. – Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended without pay for four games for repeated violations of player safety rules, following his first tackle since returning from another suspension.
Jackson lowered his helmet and hit Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs less than two minutes into the Broncos’ 21-20 win on Sunday.
Jackson, a 14-year veteran in his fifth season with the Broncos, was informed of his suspension Monday morning by Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations. Runyan said in the letter:
“During the action 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 according to the rules, but you chose not to.”
Dobbs was a running back in the game, while Vikings T.J. Hockenson took the offense from center and threw the ball to Dobbs, who eventually fumbled.
One of the NFL health and safety observers on the scene ordered Dobbs to undergo a concussion test after the game.
Dobbs was acquitted and returned to the game for Minnesota’s next offensive series.
Jackson, who was not penalized for the game, plans to appeal the suspension, sources told ESPN Monday night.
Earlier this season, he had a four-match ban reduced to two matches on appeal.
Jackson would lose $559,889 in salary if the current four-game suspension stands. He has been fined four times this season for unnecessary violence, a total of $89,670, and has been suspended from two games.
He was suspended four games after his hit on the Green Bay Packers’ Luke Musgrave in Week 7.
After his appeal reduced his suspension to two games, he missed the Broncos’ Week 8 win over the Kansas City Chiefs and the week of the team. He won the Buffalo Bills and lost $279,000 of his base salary.
He returned against the Vikings and played all 74 defensive snaps for the Broncos.
After the game, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was asked if he thought Jackson should have been penalized for the play.
“It was like that on the field,” O’Connell said. “I have to go back and watch it again.
It happens pretty quickly there, but by the time he was coming out of the second level like that, it looked like a pretty direct helmet-to-helmet hit.
“But I’m sure [the officials] saw it differently on the game. They play a fast game there.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday morning, hours before the NFL announced the suspension, that he had spoken to Jackson, adding: “All you can do is wait, and we’ll see where he goes.”
Dobbs said he “felt good” after the hit and asked O’Connell whether Jackson should have been punished.
“I haven’t had a chance to see it yet,” Dobbs said after Sunday’s game. “That’s something I’ll evaluate. I’ve got to take care of the football.
Third-and-1, I’m trying to make a play, knock down the first, keep us on the field, move the sticks.
I leave it to the coaches and everyone to resolve the problem with management.
“But ultimately in this situation I have to take care of the football, especially the start of the game.”
The Broncos are on a four-game winning streak and will face two other teams over the next two weeks in hopes of staying in the playoff race: the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.
The Broncos next face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 10 and the Detroit Lions on December 16 or 16. 17.
Jackson said last week he spoke with league officials to get “clarification” on the tackles, including the plays he was penalized for.
Following his previous suspension, Jackson’s teammates were quick to defend him, particularly safety Justin Simmons, who made an exception to the league’s letter to Jackson last month informing him of the suspension, as well than the image that Jackson was due for fines and expulsions. be a dirty player.
“Even though I reference the letter that was sent to Kareem calling him a dirty player in so many words, it bothers me as a teammate,” Simmons said at the time.
“I wouldn’t be half the player I would be.” It wouldn’t have been for Kareem without the knowledge he passed on to me on and off the field. “The whole ‘dirty player’ analogy we’re trying to keep with his name and reputation is, pardon my language, absolute bullshit—.”
Simmons defended Jackson again on social media Monday evening after the suspension was announced.
