Broncos S Justin Simmons Named Second-Team All-Pro by AP

The Associated Press recognized Justin Simmons for his impressive 2019 campaign.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

For a player, it's nice to be awarded any accolade. On Friday, Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons was named to Pro Football Focus' All-Pro Team. 

But the PFF honor isn't quite the same thing as garnering All-Pro honors by the Associated Press. On the heels of his sensational 2019 campaign, Simmons shockingly was not selected to the Pro Bowl, however, he was named a second-team All-Pro by the AP. He was the only Bronco to earn All-Pro honors. 

Why is an AP All-Pro selection important? The Pro Bowl might be little more than a popularity contest due to the way the NFL handles the voting nowadays, but whether or not a player gets elected, and how many times in a career he does so, counts toward his official resume for future concerns like team Ring-of-Fame honors and consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

The same can be said for AP All-Pro honors, even second-team distinguishment. It's also a bargaining chip for players to negotiate bigger and better contracts in free agency. 

For Simmons, to be able to say now that he's an All-Pro is huge for his value in free agency. Although he will be an unrestricted free agent, the Broncos aren't likely to let him hit the open market. 

Worst-case, the Broncos will franchise tag Simmons. Doing so not only guarantees Simmons remains in Denver for 2020 but it also would buy the team time to negotiate a long-term deal. But if/when that happens, Simmons' camp will surely use his All-Pro selection as a bargaining chip for more money and better terms on his deal. 

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It's unusual but not unheard of to see a player earn All-Pro honors without a corresponding Pro Bowl nod but in the case of Simmons, that's how it shook out. Some say that in the NFL, a player is usually rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod the year after his breakout season, though I'm skeptical of that particular cliche. The evidence says otherwise.

Look no further than 2018 when Phillip Lindsay stormed onto the NFL scene. He was sensational and was immediately rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod. 

For a player like Simmons, especially now that he's teamed up with Kareem Jackson in Vic Fangio's safety-friendly system, I would expect him to continue his upward trajectory. Arriving with the Broncos as a 2017 third-round pick out of Boston College, Simmons' first three years in the league certainly showed promise but he was finally able to put it all together in a contract year under Fangio. 

Kudos to Simmons. He's very deserving of the honor. The accolades for the 7-9 Broncos are as follows: 

Pro Bowl

Von Miller | Alternates: Kareem Jackson, Courtland Sutton, Diontae Spencer

PFF All-Rookie Team

Dalton Risner

PFF All-Pro Team

Justin Simmons

AP All-Pro Team

Justin Simmons (second-team) 

Better luck next year. The better a team does collectively, the more likely are the stand-out players to earn individual accolades. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.