P.J. Locke Injury History & Analysis

The Texans have claimed S Kareem Jackson off waivers from the Broncos. Denver dumped the twice-suspended veteran, opting to continue with P.J. Locke next to S Justin Simmons. Jackson could see immediate time for a Houston defense that lost Jimmie Ward to a quad injury against the Browns. It's not yet clear how long Ward will be out. We'll watch for specifics on Jackson's Week 17 role.

The league has suspended Broncos S Kareem Jackson four games after a spearing hit he made on Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs on Sunday night. That, of course, follows a suspension earlier this season for three illegal hits in separate games. Jackson got his previous suspension reduced to two games on appeal and has appealed this one as well. It would seem another punishment for the same crime should knock Jackson out for longer. We'll see what happens, though. Jackson didn't get flagged for the hit during the game, which may or may not affect this ruling. Any time Jackson misses should elevate P.J. Locke to the starting role. Locke missed Sunday night's game with an ankle injury that knocked him out of Week 10 early. Delarrin Turner-Yell would seem to be the next guy up if Locke remains out for Week 12.

Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett told reporters Wednesday that S Justin Simmons will miss "some time" with a thigh injury he suffered in Monday night's opener. NFL Network's James Palmer reports that he's "hearing" Simmons will land on short-term IR. That would mean at least 4 missed games. Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke look like the fill-in candidates. Denver also added S Anthony Harris to the practice squad Wednesday.