Broncos' offer to Malik Jackson could take top D-lineman off Bears' radar

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INDIANAPOLIS – Whether or where Denver Broncos defensive lineman Malik Jackson might be on the Bears’ wish list won’t be clear for some time, if ever.

But the Broncos don’t appear ready to let one of their top defensive linemen follow coach John Fox to Chicago without a financial fight.

The Denver Post, mentioning the Bears among the handful of teams with significant interest in Jackson, reported Tuesday that the Broncos have offered the 26-year-old Jackson a contract pegged at about $10 million per season, which is generally the going rate for highly regarded defensive linemen, at least certainly ones anchoring successful 3-4 defenses.

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Jackson was a drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by the Broncos and was a spot starter and rotational player for Fox his first three seasons before starting all 16 games last season. He had a career-high five sacks and 45 tackles in the regular season, followed by 1.5 sacks in Denver’s divisional-round win over Pittsburgh and a recovered fumble for a touchdown in the Broncos’ Super Bowl victory.

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