Report: Steelers Made a Late 'Push' to Sign Kareem Jackson
Bringing veteran safety Kareem Jackson back into the fold for what will be his 13th NFL season has obvious locker room benefits for the Denver Broncos. Jackson’s ability to lay big hits resonates, but the flexibility he gives Ejiro Evero's defense in nickel and dime sub-packages is perhaps the most impactful factor.
Jackson returns for what will be his fourth season in Denver, and crucially, it allows the Broncos to be creative with how they line up their stable of safeties while also dovetailing the development of second-year prospect Caden Sterns.
Broncos GM George Paton will quite rightly receive plaudits for brokering a flexible one-year deal for Jackson because it successfully snuffed out the vulture-like intentions of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported.
Thanks can also be given to former head coach Vic Fangio for recognizing Jackson's propensity to play safety after spending the majority of his first decade in the NFL as a cornerback in Houston. Jackson had played 2,128 snaps at corner from 2014-18 alone before the Texans flirted with him at safety toward the end of his Houston tenure, so kudos to Fangio for helping make the position switch permanent and getting even more out of the veteran defender.
Paton would appear to be content to play a stealthy long game when negotiating with his veteran free agents. That might also bode well for running back Melvin Gordon, who remains unsigned, but has very publicly stated he would like to circle back to the Broncos.
Similarly, Jackson had previously been vocal, if not forthright, when stating his desire to negotiate a deal to return to the Broncos.
“Yeah, definitely, they are making some major moves,” Jackson said back in March. “I didn’t have to call them because I’m right down the street from them, so I just walk down. We’ve been having conversations for the last couple for the last couple of days, so I mean, I’m definitely looking forward to possibly going back to Denver.”
That desire to finish out his career on a winning team has undoubtedly played its part, with Paton keener to respond to players who are fully committed to the cause. That opened the doors to finalize contract talks that were dragging on and likely accelerated by the Steelers showing some serious intent.
Had Fangio and Jackson not agreed on his late-career change of position, it’s unlikely that he would in a position to be earning potentially $5 million with a genuine contender. Like it or not, it’s true to say that Fangio did do some good work laying the foundations for future success, but they're just a lot harder for Broncos Country to acknowledge right now.
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