Broncos GM George Paton Leaves 'The Door Open' to a Kareem Jackson Return
On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos made big news by exercising the option on Von Miller's contract, guaranteeing he'll suit up in the Orange and Blue in 2021. Before the option was picked up, GM George Paton had attempted to to persuade Miller to accept a pay cut or a pay restructure but the eight-time Pro Bowler rejected the notion.
Miller's value to the Broncos was such that Paton still optioned him. The same couldn't be said for safety Kareem Jackson, whose option was declined, rendering him a free agent.
Paton and Jackson talked about a restructure but couldn't come to an agreement before the Broncos' deadline. However, during Thursday's introductory press conference for new cornerback Ronald Darby and running back Mike Boone, Paton revealed that Jackson's time in Denver might not be officially over. Yet.
"With Kareem, similar. We had great conversations with his agent," Paton said during his presser at UCHealth Training Center. "We tried to get something done but we couldn’t. We left the door open for Kareem to come back but we just couldn’t get something worked out.”
The door is open for Jackson to return but first, the soon-to-be 33-year-old veteran is going to test the market and see what kind of offers are out there for him. Jackson initially arrived in Denver back in 2019 on a three-year deal worth $33 million after spending the first nine years of his NFL career with the Houston Texans.
Although Jackson's first year in Denver was punctuated by an unfortunate two-game suspension for DUI, he turned in a Pro Bowl-caliber performance. He wasn't quite as impactful in 2020 but still played quite well for Vic Fangio.
Jackson was making around $11M/apy in Denver the past two seasons, so he's likely looking for a deal around the NFL that'll pay him similarly. It's doubtful he'll find it, which could lead him back to Paton's doorstep.
No doubt, Jackson shared a brain with Fangio and served as one-half of a great safety tandem alongside Justin Simmons. If the Broncos are lucky enough to re-sign Jackson, it would certainly fill what is now a gaping hole on defense.
With Will Parks also a free agent, the only safeties with even a modicum of experience beyond Simmons is Trey Marshall. It's a problem but fortunately for Paton, regardless of what might happen with Jackson, the 2021 NFL draft class is deep at safety.
Paton recognizes that safety is a priority moving forward but he's in no hurry to go throw money willy-nilly at any veteran with a resume.
“Yes, it’s a priority. It definitely is but we have a long time," Paton said. "There’s free agency, there’s a lot of safeties on the market, including Kareem, and then we have the draft. There’s also the trade market. The good thing is we don’t play a game for a while. We have a lot of time.”
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