Texans Claim Twice-suspended Safety Key Player Off Waivers Set To Go Again…
One day after being cut by the Denver Broncos, safety Kareem Jackson was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans on Tuesday.
In tandem, safety Jimmie Ward of the Texans was placed on injured reserve after suffering a quadriceps injury during Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Jackson, 35, was fined a total of $89,670, ejected from two games, and received two suspensions this season for persistently breaking the unwarranted roughness rules. If Jackson cleared waivers on Tuesday, Denver had hoped to add him back to the practice squad, sources told ESPN.
Over the previous five seasons, Jackson has started 69 games for the Broncos, including eight this season. Jackson served a four-game suspension on a roster exemption that expired on Monday, and he returned to practice last Wednesday.
He was not used during the New England Patriots’ 26-23 defeat on Sunday night.
Along with seasoned linebacker Denzel Perryman, the Texans now have two of the three players suspended for illegal hits this season after Jackson’s addition. The other is Damontae Kazee, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Texans Claim S Kareem Jackson Off Waivers, Place S Jimmie Ward On IR…
On Monday, Jackson’s exemption from the roster for his second suspension of the 2023 season came to an end. However, concerns were expressed regarding his future with the team after Denver decided not to activate him in time for the team’s Week 16 match. Jackson was waived by the Broncos with the goal of keeping him on the practice squad.
That will no longer be the case, as he will now head to Houston for the first time since his Texans tenure came to an end in 2018. Jackson was once a teammate of head coach DeMeco Ryans, and he spent nine years with the franchise after arriving in the NFL as a first-round pick. He could have a path to immediate playing time, given the corresponding move made alongside his addition.
Wilson reports that Jimmy Ward, a fellow safety, was placed on injured reserve by the Texans because of a quad injury. Ward moved to Houston this offseason, following Ryans to San Francisco after nine years. In his first season with the Texans, he has been a full-time starter, accumulating 50 tackles and one interception while giving a struggling team experience. In the final two weeks of the season, Jackson will try to accomplish the same as Houston pursues a postseason berth.
“I’m thrilled to be back with the Texans,” the 35-year-old said, via Wilson. “It’s all coming full circle, having spent a lot of time in Houston. I’m really excited and happy for DeMeco and all the success he’s having. I’m here to be a piece of the puzzle and help them win these last two games and get to the playoffs.”
The Broncos’ chances of earning a wild-card berth remain, but their chances of making the playoffs were severely damaged by their Sunday loss to the Patriots. With Jackson’s official departure from the team, it is confirmed that P.J. Locke, who started in his place during his suspensions, will finish the season with the first team. If Houston doesn’t win the AFC South, one of the three remaining teams can still secure a wild-card spot. Jackson will play for his original NFL team in the 2023 postseason, if he does.