Kareem Jackson's Contract Year: What Will it Take to Return in 2022?

Welcome to the next installment of Contract Year, a series that will focus on current Broncos players entering the final year of their current contracts with the team. Today, it's Kareem Jackson.

This series focuses on Denver Broncos whose multi-year deals are nearing the end, key players who were signed to one-year deals, and those playing under restricted free-agent tenders. They're all players who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2022 unless signed to extensions.

The next in this series is Kareem Jackson, a player who has done good things in his time with the Broncos, but does that mean he'll be back after 2021?

Career Highlights

Jackson was drafted No. 20 overall by the Houston Texans back in 2010. He mostly played cornerback in his nine years with the Texans where he logged 16 interceptions, 88 passes defensed, 559 tackles, and two sacks.

Jackson signed a three-year deal with the Broncos in 2019, switched to safety, and made a quick impact with two interceptions, 10 pass break-ups, and 74 tackles — a season in which some may have argued he deserved a Pro Bowl bid. He missed the final three games because of a league suspension for a DUI charge.

In 2020, Jackson played well, though not as well as he did in 2019, with 89 tackles, four passes defensed, and one interception. A plus was that he played all 16 games.

However, new general manager George Paton declined the option on Jackson's contract, electing not to pay about $11 million that he was set to make in 2021. Jackson tested free agency but eventually re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year, $5M deal.

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Why he May be Back in 2022

Jackson brings a lot of intensity to his game. He's a hard-hitting safety on the field who is good in coverage and can be used as a blitzer. He also brings leadership to the locker room.

RELATED: Bryce Callahan's Contract Year: What Will it Take to Return in 2022?

Why he May not be Back in 2022

Jackson is 33 years old and the Broncos are looking to get younger. That Paton declined the option on his original three-year deal indicates that the GM doesn't see Jackson as a long-term option. 

The Broncos drafted Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson in May, and the team has been developing Trey Marshall — all of whom give the Broncos younger options at safety.

2021 Outlook

Jackson is likely to enter training camp as the starter alongside Justin Simmons, and while he'll certainly get his fair share of snaps, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos work Sterns and Johnson into the mix somewhere. It's possible Jackson can have a good season, but it may be expecting too much for him to reach his level of play in 2019.

Verdict

It's not hard to figure out that Jackson isn't going to be back in 2022. He'll likely be expected to pass his knowledge on to the likes of Sterns, Johnson, and Marshall, who will all get their chances to show who can take over as the starting safety alongside Simmons in future seasons. 

Jackson has done good things for the Broncos, but he doesn't have a future with the team after this season.

Odds he'll stay after 2021: Slim to none.

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