The four-game suspension handed to Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson for his hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs was upheld Tuesday.
Hearing officer Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association, declined to reduce the suspension after Jackson appealed the initial decision.
Jackson will miss games against the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions. He will be eligible to return in Week 16, a Christmas Eve home game against the New England Patriots.
Earlier this season, Jackson had a four-game suspension reduced to two games by Brooks on appeal. The Broncos’ game Sunday night against the Vikings was Jackson’s first in his return from that suspension.
Dobbs, who ended up fumbling, subsequently underwent a concussion check but was cleared to reenter the game.