ENGLEWOOD — Veteran Broncos safety Kareem Jackson will be missed. But not for as long.
Tuesday, hearing officer Derrick Brooks, who is appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, reduced Jackson’s four-game suspension to two games for his series of unnecessary roughness penalties and two ejections. Jackson can return to the Broncos’ facility and active roster on Nov. 14.
Jackson will not be paid during his absence, losing $279,000 in salary. He was previously fined $89,670 for his previous hits, but some of those fines were reduced.
Tuesday’s hearing result means the 35-year-old will miss this Sunday’s home game against the Chiefs, who own a 16-game winning streak vs. Denver, and, following a bye, the Nov. 13 Monday night game on Denver7 at Buffalo.
Jackson was originally disciplined after his ejection on Sunday following a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave. He was penalized on the play. He had been fined four times in the team’s first six games, including for a hit on Washington tight end Logan Thomas that resulted in an ejection. Thomas and Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers went into concussion protocol.
Teammates Justin Simmons and P.J. Locke, who will replace Jackson in the starting lineup, defended Jackson’s latest hit. Simmons said he “hit him with his shoulder and hit his shoulder. Just because it looks bad doesn't mean it is. We are playing football, not flag.” Locke added, “(Bleep) is laughable! This hit can’t be any cleaner! BTW, Jack is far from a dirty player by any means. … Make it make sense.”
