ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Kareem Jackson wasted no time preparing his revenge tour against his former team.
On Tuesday morning, as the Broncos reconvened from their typical Monday off day, Denver’s veteran safety had taken a new role, a short-term promotion one could call it.
As the team turned the page to their upcoming Week 14 matchup against the Texans on Sunday, it was the 10-year vet standing in front of the team during their morning meeting, not the coaching staff, to break down their upcoming opponent. Or as Kareem could call them, his ex-employer.
“He knows what they do,” Justin Simmons said of his new fellow safety. “He saw it every day in practice when he was there. Just having him breakdown personnel and talk about what they like to do and what they don’t like to do, things like that. It’s a real benefit for game plan preparation going into the week.”
Jackson’s already made his $11 million salary in 2019 worth it with his tremendous, hard-hitting play on the field. Now, he’s sweetening his deal as a coach advisor for the week.
In fact, in just the few short hours the team had been preparing for the Texans, Jackson had already given Simmons “a lot” of advice, specifically on Houston’s dangerous quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
“On the offensive scheme and Bill O’Brien and how he thinks, KJ can definitely help with that,” Chris Harris Jr., a man who spends his one off day a week preparing for his next opponent, said about Jackson.
Even Chris, the nine-year vet, who has gone up against DeAndre Hopkins a number of times will turn to Kareem for a few more tidbits on how to slow down the former first-round receiver. But Chris won’t need to be told that Hopkins “loves” when corners play physical. He already knows he needs to give him multiple different looks.
After being with the Texans for nine seasons, playing cornerback and safety, Houston let the former first-round pick from Alabama walk in the offseason, instead opting to sign former Broncos’ cornerback Bradley Roby to fill his void.
“I think it’s going to be personal for Kareem and ‘Robe,’” Harris Jr. said firmly. “Both teams kind of didn’t want each other so for them I definitely know they’re going to have a chip on their shoulder. I know Robe’s going to try to come up here and show that we should have kept him and same thing with Kareem.”
As Simmons told the media, Kareem will likely write off that Sunday’s game against his former team is anything more than just one of 16 games on the schedule. But even being around him for just a few hours, his fellow safety knows it’s an extra-special game.
“I know he’s really locked in on this week,” Simmons stated. “It means a lot to us to go down there and get a win for him too.”
Sunday’s game will be for Kareem, by Kareem.
