Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Bills free-agent pitch adds former $61 million defender to upgrade the secondary

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Mike Moraitis | Last updated May 13, 2025 1:04 PM ET

As we continue to move along through the offseason, one thing is very clear about the Buffalo Bills —they need more help in the safeties room.

Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, Buffalo had a huge hole opposite Christian Benford at cornerback, but the hope is that Maxwell Hairston can shore that up in his first year.

Now, the biggest concern in the secondary comes at safety, where Damar Hamlin is slated to start next to Taylor Rapp.

Hamlin is no doubt a solid depth piece and special teamer, but he isn't an adequate starter, especially for a Bills team that is gunning for a Super Bowl in 2025.

With that in mind, Last Word on Sports' Liam Rebellato suggests the Bills sign free-agent safety Justin Simmons to shore up the position.

"The Buffalo Bills currently feature Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin, but Simmons would be an immediate upgrade," he wrote. "With the team looking to stay in contention, a move for a steady veteran safety could help stabilize the unit."

A two-time Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro, the 31-year-old has proven to be one of the better safeties in the NFL in his career, which led to him landing a $61 million contract from Denver back in 2021.

Simmons spent the 2024 campaign with the Atlanta Falcons and showed he can still make an impact. He gave up a completion rate of 59.5% and a passer rating of 81.9 when targeted in coverage.

The veteran would easily be an upgrade over Hamlin, and he would offer a nice complement to Rapp, as both can play in the box or back deep, although Simmons does his back work in the latter area.

While Simmons would be a fantastic signing for Buffalo, the money part is where the Bills might run into a roadblock.

According to Spotrac, Simmons should land a one-year, $5.7 million deal, but the Bills only have $1.7 million in cap space.

If the Bills really want Simmons, General manager Brandon Beane will have to get creative. If he can make it work, the Bills should absolutely bring Simmons in.