Kareem Jackson ‘Not A Dirty Player’, Broncos Insist

The Denver Broncos have rushed to the defense of cornerback Kareem Jackson following his ejection against the Packers on Sunday.

Kareem Jackson was ejected for a hit on Green Bay tight end Luke Musgrave and was suspended as a result. His suspension was halved from four games to two, but it is the letter Jackson received from the league that the Broncos took exception to.

Both safety Justin Simmons and head coach Sean Payton, who attended Jackson’s hearing, have publicly defended him.

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“Even referring to the letter that was sent to Kareem that, in so many words, called him a dirty player, that bothers me as a teammate,” Simmons said. 

“I would not be half the player I am if it wasn’t for Kareem, if it wasn’t for the knowledge he has bestowed upon me, both on and off the field.

“The whole ‘dirty player’ analogy we’re kind of trying to stick to his name and his reputation is, excuse my language, absolute bulls—.”

“If anybody asked anybody he’s played with — [in] college, college coaches, defensive back coaches, teammates, even guys he’s played against — you’ll never find anywhere in the vocabulary in terms of describing him as a dirty player,” Simmons added. 

“Kareem is one of the best people I know. One of the best teammates I’ve ever had, and anything I am as a player has been because I’ve gotten a chance to learn and grow with Kareem.”

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“I know Kareem, I know his heart and I know the way he’s played,” said Payton.

“I think it’s an easy narrative to say, ‘Well, he’s just an old-timer playing in a new-timer’s game.’ When you see the play, his head is removed from the forcible contact. Defenseless is a little bit more of an issue relative to the position the receiver’s in.”