Tag: Kareem Jackson

Whitney Mercilus is excited to see ex-Texans DB Kareem Jackson

Houston Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is excited to see his former teammate, Kareem Jackson, against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The 8-4 Houston Texans’ priority for Sunday is beating the 4-8 Denver Broncos. However, the matchup won’t be just about winning, it will be a reunion.

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson will return to his old stomping grounds of NRG Stadium. Before signing with Denver in the offseason, he played, and started, for the Texans for nine seasons after they made him a first-round choice in 2010.

Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is excited to see his old teammate on Sunday.

“He was enthusiastic about his job, everything,” said Mercilus on Friday. “He was the same guy every day, coming through the building, and just one of the coolest dudes you would ever meet. I’ll say when he left we definitely felt that, and so it’d be great to see him.”

Though Mercilus felt Jackson’s departure to the Rocky Mountains, there was nothing weird about it. “It’s the nature of the league,” as he concluded.

 

Broncos DB Kareem Jackson says facing Texans won’t be personal

On Sunday, former Houston Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson will face his former team as a member of the Denver Broncos.

On Sunday, defensive back Kareem Jackson will be playing at NRG Stadium. However, for the first time, he won’t be doing so wearing Houston Texans’ red and blue. Instead, he’ll be in Denver Broncos’ orange and blue.

Jackson, a 2010 first-round pick from Alabama, spent nine seasons in Houston before opting to move to the Rocky Mountains on a three-year, $33 million deal. Despite leaving the Texans, his return won’t be personal.

“No, it’s not personal. For me, it’s just another game on the schedule,” said Jackson to the Broncos media on Thursday.

Days after signing with the Broncos, Jackson stated that the Texans did not have an interest in resigning him after a standout 2018 campaign. However, the 31-year-old is a “pro’s, pro,” as his defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said on Thursday; emotions won’t mirror onto the gridiron.

“Obviously, with me having ties there for nine years — I’ve never been in this situation going back to a place where I played before. It’ll be good to see some familiar faces and stuff,” said Jackson. “Other than that, it’s another game on the schedule and I prepare the same way I prepare any other week.”

There is a caveat to Jackson’s notion, though: it hasn’t hit him yet. Perhaps when he walks into NRG Stadium as an opponent, it will.

“Honestly, it really hasn’t hit me yet,” said Jackson. “Obviously, just preparing this week. I’m sure once I get there, get in the stadium and start to see a lot of people that I call my friends and a lot of the guys that I played with, that definitely will be very emotional for me. Just trying to keep that to a minimum as much as possible and just continue to focus on what we’re there for.”

Jackson started nine years for the Texans. While he had his ups and downs as a player, he was a fan and locker room favorite in Houston. Now, he’ll just be in town for a quick visit.

Deshaun Watson is looking forward to ‘smack talk’ with ex-Texans DB Kareem Jackson

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson left the Houston Texans in March. Deshaun Watson is looking forward to his potential smack talk on Sunday.

On Sunday, Kareem Jackson will return to his old stomping grounds. The former Houston Texans cornerback, now with the Denver Broncos, will play against his old team, nine months after departing in free agency.

A safety with the Broncos, Jackson will have the tall task of defending Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Will he be talking? Watson seems to think so.

“I wouldn’t doubt it. It’s his old team, for sure,” Watson said Wednesday. “He’ll be cool with me, I think, for sure. I don’t think he’ll be talking too much stuff. He’ll be real fun to smack talk a little bit, but it’ll be all love and respect.”

Jackson was a favorite in the locker room and the fan base before the Texans let him walk in March. He started in all nine seasons in Houston. One can expect smiles from his ex-teammates before the game; the outcome may depict if the same can be said after it.

Broncos versus Texans could be personal for Bradley Roby, Kareem Jackson

Sunday’s bout between the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos could be personal for both Bradley Roby and Kareem Jackson, who switched teams.

This time last year, Bradley Roby was a starting cornerback for the Denver Broncos and Kareem Jackson was a starting cornerback for the Houston Texans.

365 days later, the roles are reversed. Roby starts for the Texans; Jackson, as a safety, does the same for the Broncos.

On Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium, Roby will face his former team and vice-versa for Jackson. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris, who has now played with both, believes the matchup will be personal for each.

“I think it’s going to be personal for Kareem and ‘Rob.’ Both teams kind of didn’t want each other, so I definitely know for them they’re going to have a chip on their shoulder,” Harris told Denver media Tuesday. “I know ‘Rob’ is going to come up and try and show that we should have kept him, and same thing with Kareem.”

As Harris alludes to, the Texans didn’t want Jackson, the Broncos didn’t want Roby. After signing with the Broncos — to the tune of three-year, $33 million — in March, Jackson said he felt disrespected by the Texans.

“They didn’t even approach me with an offer or any type of deal,” said Jackson on March 11, per Mark Berman of FOX 26. “Obviously they didn’t want me back or whatever the case may be. I’m not really sure. My agent was never approached by anybody from the Texans.”

The Broncos let Roby walk, despite him being their first-round pick in 2014 and a starter. He chose to sign with the Texans on a one-year, $10 million deal, spurning offers from the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.

Both Jackson and Roby are thriving with their respective teams. Jackson has seamlessly switched to a full-time safety, allowing 248 yards in coverage in 2019, per Pro Football Reference. Roby has seen his passer rating allowed go from 113.8 to 74.5.

Sunday’s matchup looks to be a revenge game for a pair of defensive backs that swapped teams.

Kareem Jackson is giving the Broncos intel on his old team, the Texans

Former Houston Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson is helping the Denver Broncos prepare for the Texans ahead of their Week 14 matchup.

For nine years, Kareem Jackson roamed the streets of Houston as the Texans’ 2010 first-round pick and starting cornerback. That is no more. In March, the 31-year-old signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Denver Broncos to play safety.

On Sunday, Jackson will return to Houston, as his 4-8 Broncos attempt to upset the 8-4 Texans. Denver is using his experience with the Texans to their advantage, as his fellow teammate and safety Justin Simmons alluded to on Wednesday.

“Just this morning, you have our coaching staff break down their personnel a little bit, but we had Kareem get up there. He was with them the longest obviously and he knows what they do—he [saw] it every day in practices when he was there,” Simmons told reporters Tuesday. “Just having him break down personnel, talking about what they like to do and don’t like to do—things like that, it’s a real benefit for game plan preparation going into the week.”

Broncos Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris doesn’t need the Texans advice as much as others, he’s played them four times. Nevertheless, Jackson is helping him with information that isn’t as visible on film or as memorable in previous matchups.

“For me, I’ve played against ‘Hop’ and those guys a lot of times,” said Harris. “Really, he just gives me a few more tidbits of what they can do. Just overall on the offensive scheme and Bill O’Brien and how he thinks, K-Jack can definitely help with that.”

Jackson is thriving in the Broncos’ defense, starting 11 games while tallying 58 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, five pass deflections and an interception. According to Pro Football Reference, he has allowed 248 passing yards in coverage in 2019.

On Sunday, expect Jackson to be a pro-active defender against Deshaun Watson and Co. After all, he knows what to look for.