Jordan Jackson, a defensive lineman who earned his degree from the United States Air Force Academy, is beginning his fifth season in the National Football League with the Denver Broncos — a tenure the 28-year-old said he greets with undiminished gratitude.
"I'll just look around like, 'Dang, I'm still playing football,'" Jackson said. "I'm 28 years old now. I'm still playing football. I haven't had to go put on a suit or do a job yet — like a real job. I have been able to play football as a job, and it's just such a blessing that I can just never take for granted."
Jackson noted that during his time at the academy, he was never certain he would last even a single year in professional football. Growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., he was an unheralded defensive lineman whose top college offers came only from the three service academies and a handful of Sun Belt programs.
He spent two seasons on practice squads — one in New Orleans with the Saints, then another with Denver — before appearing to find his footing in 2024, when he played in all 17 games, forced a fumble, and recorded 17 tackles. The following season, however, his role shrank sharply: he appeared in only five games, and his snaps on defense fell from 310 to 85 year over year.
Jackson worked deliberately during the offseason to reverse that trend. He traveled to Dallas to train under pass-rush specialist Brandon "BT" Jordan and came away feeling he had made meaningful physical strides. Denver's roster now lists him at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, nine pounds more than he carried during his final Air Force season in 2021. He is also entering his fourth consecutive year operating within the same defensive scheme under coordinator Vance Joseph and defensive line coach Jamar Cain.
"It allows you to have a little bit more fun with it, not having to worry about getting into the playbook every night as much but really just trying to do more out in the field to grow," Jackson said. "I can just watch film, be like, 'OK, I can work on this tomorrow.' I think it just allows you to play a little bit more fast, have a little more confidence while you're playing."
The offseason brought a moment of unexpected public attention when an ESPN reporter who had been embedded with the Broncos during the playoffs published a story on July 6 revealing that head coach Sean Payton was furious before the AFC Championship Game upon learning Jackson had received no playing time in the divisional-round win over Buffalo. "Zero snaps," Payton said, according to the ESPN story. "(Expletive) criminal. This kid sits on the sideline. … Did we stop the run? We didn't do that. We got our (butt) kicked in the first half." Jackson said the account reinforced his conviction that Payton believes in him.
Jackson remains active in the Air Force ready reserves, checking in with his chain of command each month and sometimes participating in the branch's recruiting outreach by sharing his own path to the NFL. He says his years as a cadet show up in concrete ways: he makes his bed without fail each morning, adheres to a structured daily schedule, and often recounts for Broncos teammates the more unusual aspects of academy life, such as leaping from a ten-meter diving platform and competing in mandatory boxing coursework.
"I think there's definitely room for me to step up, but I think right now it's just trying to find ways to get better every day until I step into a new role," Jackson said. "And whenever that comes, just take the time and actually step into that role and do whatever is needed."
How much playing time Jackson earns as Denver's training camp advances will be the figure to watch heading into the regular season.