Broncos 'Unlikely' to Re-Sign S Justin Simmons, Despite Lingering on Market

Denver Broncos fans shouldn't get their hopes up on a Justin Simmons reunion.

Sep 10, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons (31) reacts to a turnover / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos shocked many fans by releasing Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons back in March. The move saved the team $14.5 million in salary-cap space, which, along with several other moves, including the Jerry Jeudy trade, allowed the Broncos to become cap-compliant and weather the punitive impact of the Russell Wilson contract.

The assumption was that Simmons wouldn't be a free agent for long, but despite being a four-time All-Pro (second team) and two-time Pro Bowler, the veteran safety has languished on the market. As we inch farther into the 2024 offseason, Simmons' continued availability has led to many Broncos fans wondering, and in many cases, hoping against hope that he might return to Denver.

However, the Denver Post's Parker Gabriel threw a wet blanket on that notion earlier this week in a response to a mailbag question.

"Never say never until Simmons signs elsewhere, but it seems very unlikely and has from the time he was released back in March. There wasn’t any talk of, 'well maybe if.' The team put out a long goodbye statement. Now they’ve dished out No. 31 to Abrams-Draine," Parker wrote.

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Denver reassigning Simmons' jersey number is the least relevant factor in his unlikely to return, but it's one of the more sensational after the backlash that rookie fifth-round cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine received from Broncos fans. The team gave the rookie the number, and after fans blew up Simmons' mentions on X, he felt the need to publicly call off the dogs and support Abrams-Draine.

I opted to write this article up, citing Gabriel's remarks on Simmons, after I received a multitude of DMs from fans who'd seen a post from a fake Adam Schefter account that claimed the Broncos had re-signed the safety on the cheap. Considering that Mile High Huddle reaches tens of millions of Broncos fans each year, it was prudent to nip this fake news in the bud. Alas, as often happens in the modern internet landscape, the fake post was shared over and over again without people realizing its counterfeit nature.

So, no. As you can see, Simmons is still a free agent and has yet to sign with any team. It's curious that he's gone unsigned, and while it may have something to do with him being 30 years old now, it's more likely due to him wanting more money than the NFL is willing to pay right now.

The value of the safety position has plummeted precipitously over the past couple of years, and Simmons is, unfortunately, dealing with those realities. A player is worth what the market says he is worth, and while it's unclear what offers have come his way this offseason, they haven't been commensurate with what he's looking for.

It would be awesome to see Simmons return to the Broncos on the cheap. But after paying Brandon Jones and re-signing P.J. Locke, the Broncos are seem to be content with moving into the 2024 season with a safety room that's more the sum of its parts than it is top-heavy with known quantities.

Simmons was the NFL's co-interception leader in 2022 and has 30 career interceptions since entering the league as a Broncos third-round pick back in 2016. He grew into a versatile, athletic safety with a nose for the ball, and he's one heck of a leader.

It might not happen until training camps roll around in July, but Simmons will find a new NFL home. And whichever team signs him will soon thereafter question why it waited so long to get this dude in the fold.

Simmons is one of the best safeties of the modern era. His accomplishments are even more conspicuous when contrasted with the lack of team success he experienced as a pro in Denver.

Great players always stand out, but it's much more difficult to garner any individual accolades when one's team is consistently mired in the sub.-500 NFL doldrums. Imagine what Simmons' resume would look like if the Broncos had been even a little more successful during his eight years with the club.

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to be linked to Simmons in the NFL rumor mill, but with the draft in the rear-view mirror, nothing has happened yet. Don't worry too much about him, though. Having roughly $63 million in career earnings, he's not starving, and it's only a matter of time before a team snatches him up.

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