The Broncos will be in Jacksonville on Sunday for a matchup with the Jaguars that will also serve as a reunion with defensive tackle Malik Jackson.
Jackson was a starter on last year’s Super Bowl champs in Denver and scored the first touchdown of the Super Bowl when he recovered a fumble forced by linebacker Von Miller in the first quarter of the game. Jackson parleyed his success in Denver into a bigger contract with the Jaguars than the Broncos were willing to offer.
The benefits of the six-year, $85.5 million contract are obvious, but Jackson has had to learn to deal with a major step down in the league’s pecking order after the move to Jacksonville.
“It’s definitely tough, especially coming from Denver, being spoiled with the playoffs every year and a first-round bye,” Jackson said, via the Denver Post. “It’s kind of sobering because you realize every team isn’t winning 12 games a year. It brought me back down to Earth.”
The Jaguars have only won 14 games since Gus Bradley became head coach in 2013, so that certainly qualifies as a significant change 0f circumstances. Going to the playoffs isn’t an option for Jacksonville as a result, which leaves Jackson hoping to play spoiler for his former team now and hope that things finally turn the corner with the Jags in the future.