The Broncos signed back safety Kareem Jackson, after originally not picking up his option at the beginning of free agency, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’s a one-year, $5 million deal, a source confirmed to The Gazette. 

Source: The #Broncos have a deal to bring back Kareem Jackson.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2021

Jackson, who joined the Broncos in 2019, started all 16 games of the 2020-21 season for Denver, totaling 89 tackles, four pass breakups and one interception. The Broncos declined his $10 million option. After testing the waters, Jackson decided to come back after Broncos General Manager George Paton left the door open for a return. 

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“We had great conversations with his agent,” Paton said Thursday. “We tried to get something done but we couldn’t. We left the door open for Kareem to come back but we just couldn’t get something worked out.

“There’s free agency, there’s a lot of safeties on the market, including Kareem, and then we have the draft. There’s also the trade market. The good thing is we don’t play a game for a while. We have a lot of time.”

Broncos GM George Paton wasn’t letting Justin Simmons go anywhere

With Jackson on board, the Broncos have brought back their three best secondary players in 2020 — Jackson, safety Justin Simmons and corner/nickelback Bryce Callahan — while adding two of the better corners in the league in free agents Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby. The Broncos also have about $27 million left in cap space to acquire free agents. 

Denver’s secondary might be considered one of the best in the NFL when healthy. 

“We’re set up to make something happen,” Simmons said Monday. “And once again, that’s going to fall on my shoulders as the leader in the secondary and I’m going to make sure that whatever happens week in, week out, the secondary is going to be good to go and we’re going to compete at the highest level.”