Safety Kareem Jackson will miss the Denver Broncos’ next four games after his NFL-imposed suspension was upheld, the league announced on Tuesday night.

The NFL suspended Jackson for four games on Monday.

The former Alabama defensive back will miss games against the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions before rejoining the Broncos with three regular-season games remaining. The earliest Jackson will be able to play is on Dec. 24 against the New England Patriots.

Jackson will lose $558,889 in salary during the four-game suspension.

On Oct. 23, the NFL also had suspended Jackson for four games. Jackson appealed the suspension to the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFL Players Association to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.

In that case, Derrick Brooks reduced the suspension to two games. Jackson also appealed his Monday suspension, and this time, Brooks upheld the suspension.

The NFL imposed the four-game suspension on Jackson for a hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs during the Broncos’ 21-20 victory on Sunday night.

Although no penalty was called on the field, Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, informed Jackson that the league had judged he had violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 (a) of the NFL rulebook, which states: “It is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent.”

On Oct. 23, the NFL suspended Jackson for four games for a hit in the Broncos’ 19-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers the previous day. On the third snap of the fourth quarter, Jackson brought down tight end Luke Musgrave with what was judged a helmet-to-helmet hit at the end of an 18-yard reception. Jackson was penalized for unnecessary roughness and disqualified from further participation.

Runyan cited Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (b)(1) when he suspended Jackson that time. That rule states: “It is a foul if a player forcibly hits the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, face mask, forearm or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him.”

Jackson was fined by the NFL four times for unnecessary roughness in the first six weeks of the 2023 season. Twice the fines stemmed from penalties called on the field.

The NFL fined Jackson $14,819 in Week 1, $19,669 in Week 2, $11,473 in Week 3 and $43,709 in Week 6.

In Denver’s 35-33 loss to Washington on Sept. 17, Jackson was penalized and ejected for a hit on Commanders tight end Logan Thomas on a touchdown reception with 1:47 left in the first half.

A first-round draft choice from Alabama’s 2009 BCS national-championship team, Jackson is in his 14th NFL season.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.