Update: Broncos safety Kareem Jackson’s suspension reduced from four to two games

Update: Kareem Jackson’s four-game suspension for his hit on Green Bay Packers’ tight end Luke Musgrave has been reduced to two games.

According to multiple reports, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is suspending Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson for four games after his hit on Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave.

Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the game because of this hit. He is a repeat offender and has now been ejected from a game twice this season, so a bigger punishment was coming. He was fined heavily earlier in the season but now, the NFL is coming in much stronger and suspending him for four games.

NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension of Jackson had explained his reasoning. In the release, Runyan stated that Jackson delivered a “forceful blow to the head/neck area of a defenseless receiver when you had time and space to avoid such contact”. He continued by saying that Jackson could have made a legal hit on Musgrave but “you chose not to”.

In Week 1, Jackson hit Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers in the head/neck area and left him concussed on the field. The following week vs. the Commanders, Jackson hit tight end Logan Thomas in the head/neck area and was ejected from that game and fined heavily. So, there is unfortunately a pattern here and one the NFL is clearly not a fan of.

With Jackson now sidelined for two games, we should see P.J. Locke get the start opposite of safety Justin Simmons. Locke came in for Jackson in the second half of the game vs the Packers and ended up getting the game-ending interception off quarterback Jordan Love in the final seconds of the game. He started the season on the injured reserve but is now healthy and should see plenty of playing time in the coming weeks.

The Broncos next two games are against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, so Locke will likely be tested by these offenses who love to throw the ball around.