The NFL has taken disciplinary action against Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson, suspending him for four games without pay following his hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs during Sunday night's game, Yahoo! Sports noted.

The league's decision, announced on Monday afternoon, was based on "repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players."

This marks Jackson's second suspension of the season for repeated illegal hits to opponents' heads. The controversial hit occurred in the early stages of Denver's 21-20 victory over the Vikings when Jackson lowered his helmet, making contact with Dobbs' facemask.

The impact played a crucial role in dislodging the ball, leading to a forced turnover for the Broncos, who capitalized on the fumble with a successful field goal. Notably, officials did not penalize Jackson for the illegal hit during the game.

The suspension was announced alongside a letter addressed to Jackson from Jon Runyan, the NFL's vice president of football operations.

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Official Should've Flagged Kareem Jackson, Says Analyst

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson's forceful hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs, leading with his helmet, resulted in Dobbs being taken to the blue medical tent after only the third play of the game.

Despite quickly rejoining the game, NBC analyst Terry McAuley criticized the officiating crew, asserting that Jackson should have been penalized with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for the helmet-to-helmet hit, Fan Nation reports.

The controversial play saw Dobbs lose a fumble as he attempted to pick up a first down on 3rd-and-1.

The Broncos gained possession and ultimately converted the turnover into a field goal, securing a 3-0 lead.

If a penalty flag had been thrown, the fumble would not have counted, and the Vikings would have been awarded a first down near midfield.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell acknowledged that, in the heat of the moment, the hit seemed like a direct helmet-to-helmet collision, and he suggested that officials may have viewed it differently in the fast-paced context of the game.

Broncos coach Sean Payton, prior to the NFL's announcement of Jackson's suspension, mentioned that he had spoken to Jackson, expressing a wait-and-see attitude regarding the outcome of the situation.

The NFL's decision to suspend Jackson underscores the league's commitment to enforcing player safety rules, especially concerning helmet-to-helmet hits.

Kareem Jackson Plans to Appeal Suspension

Kareem Jackson is reportedly planning to appeal the suspension handed down by the NFL, according to sources informed ESPN on Monday night.

Notably, Jackson had successfully appealed a previous four-game suspension earlier in the season, which was reduced to two games.

If the current four-game suspension is upheld, Jackson would forfeit $559,889 in salary.

This comes in addition to the fines he has incurred throughout the season for unnecessary roughness, totaling $89,670. Jackson has also been ejected from two games.

The earlier suspension stemmed from a hit on Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in Week 7. Although the initial suspension was for four games, Jackson's successful appeal led to a reduction to two games.

Consequently, he missed the Broncos' Week 8 and Week 10 victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, respectively, forfeiting $279,000 of his base salary.

Despite the suspension and fines, Jackson returned to the field against the Minnesota Vikings, playing all 74 defensive snaps for the Broncos.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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