Broncos S Kareem Jackson’s four-game suspension upheld on appeal

Kareem Jackson is getting no grace this time.

The Broncos veteran safety had his four-game suspension for a high hit on Minnesota quarterback Josh Dobbs in Sunday’s win over the Vikings upheld through the appeals process Tuesday, the NFL announced.

The appeal was heard by former NFL linebacker Derrick Brooks, one of two officers jointly approved by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to handle such matters.

Denver head coach Sean Payton said he took part in Jackson’s first, successful appeal last month on Jackson’s behalf and said it lasted about an hour via Zoom. In that instance, the original four-game suspension for a hit on Green Bay tight end Luke Musgrave was cut to two. But on Tuesday, Jackson received no such reprieve.

Perhaps particularly stinging this time around for Jackson is that the Broncos have the longest active winning streak in the NFL at four games and are coming up on a critical juncture against a set of AFC foes also vying for playoff positioning. Not only that, but Jackson will miss the Broncos’ game Dec. 3 at Houston, where he played the first nine years of his career, including two alongside now-Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Several teammates came to Jackson’s defense on social media earlier this week. Safety Justin Simmons called the suspension “unbelievable” and pointed to a hit he made last year against Buffalo that he said was similar to Jackson’s yet drew no attention from the league.

“There is no consistency in these calls and there is clearly motive and an agenda with certain players,” Simmons wrote on “X,” formerly known as Twitter. “Bunch of dirty players in our league. Kareem is not one of them.”

Safety P.J. Locke didn’t mention the hit specifically, but a tweet from his “X” account Tuesday read, “Hate how the world is labeling my brother ‘KJack’ right now. Attacking his character is something that doesn’t sit right with me. Wouldn’t be the player and person I am today without these 4+ years with him. Man put his heart and soul in the game and relationships with his teammates.”

The NFL has stressed as part of its discipline against Jackson that it believes he had time to make different decisions and make contact in different ways, but willingly decided not to.

“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,” NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote to Jackson, echoing a similar sentiment from October. “You could have made contact with your opponent within the rules, yet you chose not to.”

Jackson has played in eight games this year and been disciplined after six of them.

Here’s the full tally:

Week 1: A helmet-to-helmet hit on Las Vegas receiver Jakobi Meyers drew a penalty. Meyers left the game with a concussion. Discipline: $14,819 fine

Week 2: A helmet-to-helmet hit on Washington tight end Logan Thomas drew a penalty and an ejection. Thomas left the game with a concussion. Discipline: $19,669 fine

Week 3: A dive at the feet of a Miami offensive lineman on a long De’Von Achane run was not penalized but was later ruled to be unnecessary roughness. Discipline: $11,473 fine.

Week 6: A helmet-to-helmet hit on Kansas City running back Isaiah Pacheco was not penalized but was later ruled to be unnecessary roughness. Discipline: $43,709 fine.