Chiefs Must Pursue Former Rival Starter Who Just Became Available

Teams around the NFL made some tough decisions before Tuesday's roster cutdown deadline. This means that plenty of competent veterans have become available. The Kansas City Chiefs will presumably scour the waiver wire to see whether they can upgrade in any position on their 53-man roster.

One of those positions is safety. Justin Reid and Bryan Cook have missed significant time at training camp, preventing them from building any preseason chemistry. The only other safety on the roster is rookie fourth-rounder Jaden Hicks. There could potentially be a need for more veteran depth and there is the perfect option available after Tuesday's cuts.

Kareem Jackson, who started 69 games for the Denver Broncos in the last five seasons was just released by the Buffalo Bills.

Former Broncos Safety Kareem Jackson Worth A Look for the Chiefs

At age 36, Jackson is obviously not the same athlete as he once was. He was among the better safeties in the league for a long time after he was a first-round pick of the Texans back in 2010. In 2019, he signed a three-year, $33 million deal with Denver and lived up to that contract during his tenure.

Jackson was waived mid-season last year after getting suspended twice for tackling violations. He finished out the year with Houston before signing with the Bills this summer. If we don't take suspensions into the equation, Jackson has been remarkably healthy for a player in his mid-30s.

Not only has he been consistently available, but his PFF grade hasn't shown much decline, either. In the last two seasons, he received a 64.5 and a 67.3 overall defensive grades, respectively. As recently as 2022, he finished with a career-high 94 tackles and allowed a career-low 57.6% completion rate when targeted.

At this stage of his career, he is obviously not a starter but he is worth a look as a veteran depth piece for the Chiefs.

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