ENGLEWOOD, Colo — Kareem Jackson a practice-squad player?
Phshaw!
This is a 14-year NFL starting safety. Cut by the Broncos on Monday -- with the intention of signing him back to the practice squad if he cleared waivers -- Jackson instead was claimed off waivers Tuesday by the Houston Texans.
The Texans were the team who made Jackson a first-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2010. He played there as a cornerback for nine seasons, his first two as a teammate of linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Ryans is now the Texans' head coach.
After 9 years in Houston, Jackson signed a three-year, $33 million contract as a free agent with the Broncos in 2019. He received the first two years and $23 million of that deal, then continued with the Broncos on three, one-year contracts.
The Texans will now pick up the remaining $279,444 of his contract. They lost veteran safety Jimmie Ward to a season-ending quad injury in their 36-22 loss Sunday to Cleveland. Ward was the Texan who made a game-saving interception off Russell Wilson with 9 seconds remaining in a 22-17 Broncos loss on Dec. 3 that snapped Denver's five-game winning streak.
In 69 games with the Broncos, Jackson had six interceptions and 393 tackles -- some of them punishing.
All was well until this season, when Jackson began to deliver numerous upper body hits on opponents that ultimately drew severe punishment from the league. He was fined four times for a total of $89,700, was ejected from two games and received two, four-game suspensions.
The first suspension was reduced to two games upon appeal but on the first series of his first game back, he clocked Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs near the head area and received another four-game suspension.
This time, Jackson did not win his appeal.
He returned last week but by then P.J. Locke had shown big-play ability in his stead. The Broncos asked the league for a roster exemption on Jackson until Monday, which happened to be Christmas Day. Jackson was not activated for the Broncos' game Sunday night against the Patriots. The exemption was lifted Monday.
To have activated Jackson on Monday would have meant cutting another player from the 53-man roster. The Broncos opted to cut Jackson instead.
The transaction turned out to be a win-win for both the Broncos and Jackson. The Broncos wanted to do right by a long-tenured player who had lost his starting job and barring injury was not going to play again this season. Would such a player be happy hanging out on the practice squad after 14 years as a starting player?
For Jackson, he goes to a team that at 8-7 is a full step closer to making the playoffs than the Broncos. The Texans play at home against the Titans this Sunday then play their regular-season finale at Indianapolis, which is also 8-7.
The 7-8 Broncos have two games remaining, New Year's Eve Sunday against the 5-10 Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High and most likely the following Sunday, Jan. 7 against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
While the Broncos have not been eliminated from the postseason, they need to win their final two games and hope multiple teams ahead of them lose out to claim the No. 7 and final AFC playoff seed.
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