Kareem Jackson Sends Message to Broncos S Caden Sterns

Entering his third year, safety Caden Sterns is on the brink of unseating 35-year-old veteran Kareem Jackson in the Denver Broncos starting line-up.

Injury once again interrupted Sterns' momentum in Year 2, so Jackson held onto his job working in tandem with All-Pro Justin Simmons through all 17 starts. Jackson's respected leadership skills also meant new Broncos head coach Sean Payton was keen to bring him back for what will be his 14th NFL season.

Ever the uber-competitive dog, Jackson knows his job is under serious threat once again, but he will continue pushing hard to prove he's still a starting-caliber NFL safety.

“Unfortunately, in this league, you get put in situations that you can’t control or you can’t handle, regardless of your play,” Jackson told DNVR's Zac Stevens. “For some reason, it seems when you get a certain age, they always think the cliff is coming that you can’t play. It’s my job to come out and prove them wrong.”

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You could say there is a sense of inevitability about the torch being passed to the more youthful 23-year-old Sterns. Of course, that's how rosters must evolve in order to keep competing within the ever-changing landscape of the NFL.

That being said, Jackson didn't build a starting resume as both a cornerback and safety without having a deep love for the game he continues to play into his mid-30s.

“It’s my 14th training camp. I’m not out here because of the payday. I’m out here because I love the game,” Jackson said via Stevens. “For me, it’s all about coming out and putting my best foot forward each and every day and still proving I can play this game to each and every person that’s doubting it.”

The guaranteed part of Jackson's paycheck will only be $152,500 this coming season, and he can make as much as $2.7 million in 2023, which is particularly low for a player of his experience. Decorated vets like Jackson would sooner walk away from the game than accept much smaller money — or perhaps make life more difficult for their successor moving forward.

But not Jackson, who feels he's got a duty to mentor Sterns, but his friendship with the former fifth-round draft pick won't stop him from giving him some tough love in training camp vis-a-vis competition.

“I love Caden to death. He’s a huge part of this team as well. Going into his third year, I’m sure they are expecting big things from him, as am I. Caden’s still my teammate. I still love Caden,” Jackson said via Stevens. “Obviously, competition is competition. But at the end of the day, I’m not going to turn my back on Caden. I’m going to still help Caden every way I can, whether it’s on the field or off the field. At the end of the day, I feel like, it’s my responsibility to give whatever knowledge I have to the guys in that room and Caden’s included in that regardless of the situation that we’re in. It’s not his fault.”

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