The Denver Broncos have had one of their best halves of football in quite some time but just before halftime of the Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, there was one blemish.
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was ejected from the game for a hit on Washington tight end Logan Thomas, who had just caught a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal. Flags immediately flew and replays showed helmet-to-helmet contact between Jackson and Thomas.
Jackson also put a nasty hit on Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers late in the game last week. Jackson was penalized on the play and it went a long way to costing the Broncos a chance to win that game in the end, and Meyers was knocked out of the game.
That could be the case for Thomas as well. He was taken to the blue medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion. But the referees weren't going to take any more chances with Jackson, disqualifying him from the contest.
That will hurt the Broncos who are already without Caden Sterns for the season. Rookie safety JL Skinner was a healthy scratch, so that leaves Delarrin Turner-Yell as the only other healthy safety on the roster.
Jackson will almost certainly hear from the league office this coming week as well and at the very least, his pocketbook is going to become a bit lighter.
The league has really tried to crack down on plays such as this one and while many fans will always argue that football should be physical, there is no place in the game for a hit like this one and Jackson being ejected was the right decision.
The Broncos looked to be quite deep at the safety position during the preseason. Suddenly, it's a position that is looking quite thin. This will be a situation to monitor as this game progresses as the momentum has seriously shifted in Washington's favor from the moment that hit took place.