Broncos Players React After Kareem Jackson Re-Signs With Team

What does Kareem Jackson mean to his teammates in Denver? Quite a lot.

Winning the offseason doesn't often translate to on-field success when the NFL regular season rolls around, but it would appear that Denver Broncos' new GM George Paton has put together a roster more than capable of returning to the playoffs.

In recent days, Paton has shifted gears and employed a more stealthy free-agency approach in order to acquire former All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller, whom Denver stoically resisted trading for. Paton's calculated gamble to release veteran safety Kareem Jackson has also paid dividends for the Broncos after 32-year-old re-signed with Denver on a one-year, $5 million deal — saving the team north of $5M in the process. 

Paton appears to have accurately read the room to predict what veteran safeties would find on the open market. The first-year GM left the "door open" for the well-respected Jackson to return to the Broncos, but was comfortable enough to let things find a natural equilibrium and let the chips fall as they may.

When ex-Minnesota Vikings safety Anthony Harris signed his own one-year deal last week with the Philadelphia Eagles, the framework for Jackson’s deal crystalized. Jackson returns on a team-friendly deal to fill that last hole in Vic Fangio's secondary. 

The news of Jackson's return was warmly received by defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones who told Denver7's Troy Renck just how excited he was.

“Ecstatic,” Jones told Renck. “He’s a great leader. A great guy. I love that he’s coming back.”

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Broncos' left guard Dalton Risner even texted into Denver7's station to voice his satisfaction that Jackson was returning to once again form a lethal safety tandem with Justin Simmons.

“One of my favorite guys on the team man,” Risner enthused to Denver7. “That’s big bro, 100%. He is a beast. J Sims and Reem Boi in the secondary is scary.”

Paton’s multi-faceted approach to rebuilding his roster might come as somewhat of a surprise to Broncos Country, but even after letting the fan-favorite Phillip Lindsay go but at this point, it’s only a minority who are complaining. 

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