Bills elevate two ex-Broncos for Sunday, including Kareem Jackson

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kareem Jackson and Jalen Virgil weren’t wanted by the Broncos and eventually settled on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills.

But you might see both on Sunday, as the Bills elected to elevate the pair of ex-Broncos for Sunday’s wild-card showdown in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Virgil elected to cast his lot with Buffalo when the Broncos waived him at the end of the preseason. His two full seasons with Denver were star-crossed, highlighted by his 66-yard touchdown catch from Russell Wilson in a loss at Tennessee nine games into the 2022 season. He appeared to be on track to again make the 53-player roster the following season before suffering a meniscus injury in a preseason loss at San Francisco.

As for Jackson, the Broncos waived him late last season after a flurry of suspensions. He quickly rejoined his original team, the Houston Texans, for the rest of the season. But he went unsigned in the offseason until joining Buffalo on July 30. The Bills released him after training camp, but brought him back to their practice squad.

Buffalo elevated Jackson twice during the regular season.

Jackson made waves in Broncos Country when he publicly responded to Broncos coach Sean Payton noting the safety corps and saying, “We’re better overall on the back end at that position than we were a year ago.”

After moving on from Justin Simmons & Kareem Jackson, the Broncos put their safety corps in the hands of the promoted P.J. Locke & free agent Brandon Jones this year.

The result?

“We’re better overall on the back end at that position than we were a year ago,” Sean Payton says. pic.twitter.com/oG7SbdkYG1

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 25, 2024

Those comments made their way to Jackson.

🤣🤣 if it’s one thing I’ve learned in this league after being in it for 15 years, some of these coaches will say any damn thing! Even if it’s them putting their foot in their mouth lol!! S/o PJ and B Jones cause I love what they doing this year!! Keep going fellas 🫡 https://t.co/sN5dnQoRlG

— Kareem Jackson (@ReemBoi25) November 26, 2024

Broncos safety P.J. Locke noted at the time that Jackson was conscientious enough to reach out to him before making that social media post. Jackson knew that Locke, his successor at safety, would be in an awkward spot.

“He texted me before it happened,” Locke said. “… Obviously, those comments from Sean, I mean, I love ’em, man, because that just shows how much he believe in me and [Brandon] Jones. And when I have trust in the coach and when we have trust in the coach, man, we just go that much harder for him. So I didn’t take anything out of the ordinary from it, but he feels how he feels.”

Jackson remains in high esteem within the Broncos’ defensive-back room. Locke, said in Week 13 that he still texts with Jackson “every day.”

“I never discredit Kareem. I never discredit Justin. Those dudes are the reason why I’m standing here right now. There’s no doubt about it,” Locke said. “I owe them a piece of my contract. I’m not doing that — but I owe them a piece of my contract.

“… The culture we have right now is all Kareem. You know, the DB dinners, the DB trips, the hanging out. It’s all Kareem,” Locke said. “Then just kind of bringing the young guys up. He had a way, obviously, when he was here, he was a lot older than everybody, so he had a way of bridging the gap between the young and old. And he could talk to anybody.

“… But all that stuff comes from Kareem. So, like I said, I would never discredit those dudes [Jackson and Justin Simmons]. Those are my brothers. And … we’re brothers for life. And I owe them everything because they’re the reason why I’m standing here.

Ex-Bronco Kareem Jackson made some social-media comments this week after Sean Payton talked about the safety play this season compared with last year … but he kept P.J. Locke in the loop, texting him. A lot of good stuff from Locke on K-Jack here: pic.twitter.com/Wl2axfRyoj

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 28, 2024

Jackson also had a response to a pointed critique regarding Payton by ESPN’s Ryan Clark.

BRONCOS MAKE ONE ELEVATION

And that goes to rookie offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, who was elevated three times in the regular season.

The Broncos have used 32 elevations on 15 different players so far this season.

• Week 1: FB Michael Burton, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
• Week 2: RB Tyler Badie, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (2)
• Week 3: RB Tyler Badie (2), DB Tanner McCalister
• Week 4: LB Levelle Bailey, DB Tanner McCalister (2)
• Week 5: LB Levelle Bailey (2)
• Week 6: OT Cam Fleming, IOL Calvin Throckmorton
• Week 7: ILB Kwon Alexander, IOL Calvin Throckmorton (2)
• Week 8: ILB Kwon Alexander (2), IOL Calvin Throckmorton (3)
• Week 9: ILB Kwon Alexander (3), FB Michael Burton (2)
• Week 10: FB Michael Burton (3), ILB Zach Cunningham (1)
• Week 11: ILB Zach Cunningham (2), S Keidron Smith (1)
• Week 12: ILB Zach Cunningham (3), OL Nick Gargiulo (1)
• Week 13: OL Nick Gargiulo (2)
• Week 15: OL Nick Gargiulo (3), CB Reese Taylor (1)
• Week 16: DL Matt Henningsen (1), RB Blake Watson (1)
• Week 17: DL Matt Henningsen (2), WR David Sills  (1)
• Week 18: DL Matt Henningsen (3)
• Wild-card week: OL Nick Gargiulo (first of playoffs)

The Broncos also activated Tyler Badie from injured reserve, three days before the 21-day practice window expired. To make room for him, the team placed Frank Crum on the non-football illness list. Crum has not practiced in the last two weeks.