Kareem Jackson, a former defensive back for Alabama, was released by the Denver Broncos on Monday and is going back to his original NFL team via waiver claim.

After Alabama’s perfect 2009 BCS national title, Jackson was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. After the 2018 season, Jackson signed a free agent contract with the Broncos, where he played safety instead of cornerback.

After the 15 clubs ahead of Houston in the waiver list failed to submit a claim for the safety, the Texans placed safety Jimmie Ward on injured reserve on Tuesday due to a quadriceps injury. Jackson took Ward’s position on the active roster.

“I’m excited to be back with the Texans,” Jackson stated to Houston’s KPRC-TV. “After spending so much time in Houston, it’s all come full circle. I’m ecstatic for DeMeco (Ryans), the coach of Houston, and all of his accomplishments. Being a part of that company and witnessing DeMeco’s employment and success made me glad for him.

There are many young talented people there. In order to help these people win the next two games and advance to the playoffs, I want to join the team and contribute to the puzzle.

Ryans, a former great player at Alabama, is in his first year as the head coach of the Texans. Ryans played linebacker for the Houston Texans throughout Jackson’s first two NFL seasons.

With two weeks left in the regular season, Houston, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, are tied for first place in the AFC South with an 8-7 record. The Jaguars are currently atop the division rankings, the Colts are in the final wild-card place thanks to tiebreakers, and the Texans are the first team out of the postseason.

Houston plays host to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and travels to Indianapolis for the regular-season finale on January 7. Jackson, in his thirteenth NFL season, set a career high with 94 tackles in 2022 while playing for the Broncos. However, in Denver’s first 14 games of 2023, he started eight and was suspended for six. The Broncos had until Monday to either release Jackson or add him back to their 53-player active roster. Last week, Denver received a roster exemption for Jackson as he returned to practice following an NFL suspension of four games.