Last week, shortly after signing a six-year, $90 million deal with the Jaguars, Malik Jackson said the Broncos could have kept the team intact for another Super Bowl run.
That would have necessitated general manager John Elway getting his hands on a time machine back to last offseason because Jackson's 2015 performance made him a lot of money.
Jackson doesn't have any regrets, however. Yes, he enjoyed his time in Denver, but he's also not apologizing for signing with the Jaguars instead of taking a hometown discount to keep the band together.
"You definitely have some guys talk to you that say, 'I took this pay cut to stay here and I did this here to stay here,'" Jackson said, via ESPN.com. "It's one of those things where I think we all have different priorities. My priority is to take care of my daughter and my family. I came into this league by myself and I'll leave by myself.
"I love the Broncos for helping me out but it's a business and that's how I feel about it. I think a lot of guys say, 'Stay here. We can do this. We can do that.' My mindset is to take care of my family and go out here and help teams get better."
And in a league where contracts aren't fully guaranteed, that's the exact right mindset to take. Particularly since Jackson came into the league as a fifth-round pick and made just $3.3 million in his first four NFL seasons.
"It's a business at the end of the day and I realized that going into this year," Jackson continued. "It's what you've worked so hard for and put yourself in the position to go out there and do what I did. I had a great year, won the Super Bowl and come out here -- and ultimately make a lot of money for your family.
"It's bittersweet because I loved the organization. They gave me a chance to go out there and play from the get-go. They let me grow and they brought people in there to help me grow. It's a business and now I'm a Jacksonville Jaguar. I couldn't be happier."
