Broncos: Kareem Jackson admits Russell Wilson wasn't the problem last season
Sean Payton understands the importance of having a healthy blend of veteran presence and young talent to fill out his roster. It should come as no surprise why the team brought back Kareem Jackson. Jackson was re-signed, in part, to provide a valuable locker room presence and a voice of reason during potential turmoil. While […]
Sean Payton understands the importance of having a healthy blend of veteran presence and young talent to fill out his roster. It should come as no surprise why the team brought back Kareem Jackson.
Jackson was re-signed, in part, to provide a valuable locker room presence and a voice of reason during potential turmoil. While the team drafted what could be his replacement in JL Skinner, Jackson will be a crucial part of the team's success.
While the national media and experts pile on to Russell Wilson's below-average quarterback play, Jackson sent a message to the world that the issue doesn't stand with just the franchise quarterback. Broncos fans may be divided, but Jackson was clear with his messaging.
When speaking with 104.3 The FAN, Jackson discussed his much-deserved frustration with how the season panned out.
"To obviously go out and lose the way we lost last year, having eight or nine one-score games and two or three walk-offs in OT, that stuff is even more frustrating," said Jackson. "… We had a ton of injuries [and] had a bunch of different line-ups out there. I might of been the only guy that played every game last year."
To wrap up his interview, the talented veteran touched on what could've been the most controversial part of the entire segment: Russell Wilson.
Wilson, objectively, was bad last season. The veteran quarterback was traded for a king's ransom in hopes to bring a championship to Denver. However, Broncos fans know all too well just how far from reality those expectations wound up being.
Jackson quickly defended the franchise quarterback and further drove home the idea that Wilson wasn't the only reason for the team's lack of success.
"For Russ, if you’re the guy under center, making that type of money, you’re going to be the first guy that everybody will point out,” said Jackson. “I’ll sit here and today and say that wasn’t just the problem. We had a ton of problems.”
This is exactly the type of player Payton wants surrounding his men. Jackson is a fighter and a vocal leader that will make potentially bigger impacts in the locker room, than on the football field.
However, it will be easy to look back on this brief interview if Russell Wilson has another bad year in which the team fails to meet expectations. Regardless of the outcome, this next season is sure to be memorable.
