Texans bring back oft-suspended former first-round pick

The Houston Texans are giving another lifeline to one of their former picks.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Houston Texans have claimed veteran safety Kareem Jackson off waivers. The 35-year-old Jackson was just released by the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day.

Jackson was selected by the Texans in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft (No. 20 overall) and spent the first nine seasons of his career with them. He left to sign with the Broncos in 2019 and had been with them up until his release this week.

The talent is undeniable for Jackson, but unfortunately, so is the baggage. Over the course of the last several years, Jackson has had a DUI arrest (for which he was suspended multiple games) and numerous other suspensions for dangerous and illegal hits (the latest of which came just last month).

A team captain for the Broncos prior to his release, Jackson now lands back with an 8-7 Texans team that is very much in the AFC playoff hunt. Jackson used to be teammates in Houston with current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and should be able to provide high-impact play in the secondary for them if he can lay off the illegal hits.