Kareem Jackson has been suspended for a second time in as many months for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.
The NFL announced Jackson’s latest suspension for four games on Monday in light of the Denver Broncos defensive back lowering his helmet to hit Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Sunday night’s Broncos win.
Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, issued the suspension. In a letter to Jackson, he wrote:
“With 13:38 remaining in the first quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules. The video of the play shows that you lowered your head and made forcible contact to Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided.
“Illegal acts that are flagrant and jeopardize the safety of players will not be tolerated. The League will continue to stress enforcement of the rules that prohibit using your helmet to make forcible contact with your opponent. On the play 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 within the rules, yet you chose not to.”
NFL Network Insider, Tom Pelissero, reported earlier on Monday that a hit was being investigated. This hit involved Jackson lowering his head and charging into a scrambling Dobbs, hitting the quarterback in the chin. Despite this, no flag was thrown during the play.
Sunday was Jackson’s first game back from his previous suspension, handed out after a Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers for violating unnecessary roughness rules. That was also a four-game suspension but it was subsequently reduced to two games following an appeal.
Jackson can also appeal this suspension.
Jackson will now be eligible to return to the Broncos’ active roster after the team’s Week 15 game against the Detroit Lions, pending an appeal.
Jackson, 35, is in his 14th season overall and fifth with the Broncos. He’s posted 51 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups in eight starts this year.
