Kareem Jackson is hitting free agency. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos will not exercise the option on the veteran safety.
Klis notes that the front office tried to restructure Jackson’s contract before declining the option. Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets that the move will free up $7.1MM in cap space for the Broncos.
Jackson, 32, joined the Broncos on a three-year, $33MM deal back in 2019. The veteran quickly became a favorite among teammates and the coaching staff for his veteran savvy and hard hits. Jackson ultimately started each of his 29 games for the Broncos, compiling 160 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions.
While the Broncos will surely be seeking a replacement for Jackson, the team has already added to their secondary. The team agreed to terms with cornerback Ronald Darby earlier today.
That’s unfortunate. Jackson figured to be at the end of his career when he signed in Denver, but he very quickly established himself as the leader of that secondary, especially when injuries started claiming other players. He hits much heavier than his frame, which is something we didn’t get to see as much in Houston when he was at corner. Jackson really was a great leader for the Broncos, and that will be the element that is most difficult to replace. He was almost always in good position too, which is even more valuable given how young Denver’s starters were last year.
Given that they did not reach an agreement with Simmons, it does seem odd that they could not at least retain Jackson for his option year. I suppose the numbers were tighter than they originally appeared.
Looks like the Broncos are bargain hunting. They must be going to retain that overpaid stiff Von Miller in order to avoid fan boy outrage. It matters not, as they are only going to win 6 games this year regardless.
I agree that Miller will need at the very least a new deal to stay in Denver, but what exactly do you have against the guy? Your posts regarding are always vitriolic, why is that? Just curious.
This caught me off guard. I believe I read Jackson said this doesn’t mean a deal still can’t be reached. He just didn’t want to restructure his contract like initially requested. Drafting a safety at some point.
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