As we near closer to OTA offseason workouts beginning around the league, free agent safety Justin Simmons remains unsigned.
The Denver Broncos released Simmons earlier this offseason in order to save $14.5 million in cap space, largely because of the hole they're in over former quarterback Russell Wilson's contract. Even with the cap savings, it was still a bit surprising to see Denver let Simmons go given that he is four-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler.
Simmons is still one of the best in the league at his position, leaving many to wonder why he has yet to be snatched up by a team. While the answer isn't exactly clear, the first assumption that naturally comes to mind is that he could be asking for too much money. Simmons was entering the final year of a four-year, $61 million contract before he was released.
To make matters even more difficult for the eight-year veteran, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just gave their All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. a massive four-year, $84 million contract extension, making him the highest paid defensive back ever. That resets the safety market dramatically, as the next highest paid safety, Xavier McKinney, makes $20 million less than that.
Simmons is now going to be faced with either settling for a short-term deal for less money or not playing at all. There should be plenty of teams who are willing to give him a contract for one or two years, but he's more likely to make closer to what McKinney makes annually than Winfield Jr.
It may be unfair, but that's the reality for most NFL players once they hit their 30's. If Simmons were to sign a one-year "prove it" deal and he balls out, that team could be willing to give him the long-term deal that he's looking for. It could still be in his favor to wait another couple of months in case a team loses a key player to injury.
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