Justin Simmons Discussed Broncos Exit, Criteria For Next Team

He mentioned he plans to be pickier about his options in 2025 after signing with the Falcons last year and missing the playoffs by a whisker. 

“I think Atlanta I would still pick 10 out of 10 times if I was in the spot (I was in) last year,” Simmons said. “But in terms of where I’m at now, (I’m) being a little bit more picky where we want to go and where we want to call home next … the next two years, a year, whatever it is … but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now.”

Simmons has been linked to the Panthers and the Eagles so far this offseason. Both teams need safety help and Simmons knows both Eagles DC Vic Fangio and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero well. Philadelphia fits the bill of a contender much more than Carolina, but the Panthers seem like a team on the rise. 

As for his exit from Denver after being cut coming off a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro season, Simmons said he has no ill will against Broncos HC Sean Payton.

“I mean, I can’t speak for Sean,” Simmons said. “I have no bad blood with Sean, with anyone in the building. I loved my time there. I will always consider him a friend and a great coach … I loved Sean. I love the Walton-Penner (ownership) group and what they have going on. Business decisions happen. And sometimes there are casualties, where both player and fans wish there wasn’t and (there) just is. And both sides could be better from it — and you see they had a successful year. And I’m so happy for them.”

Simmons pointed out that sometimes a team just finds a benefit in going young even if it means cutting veterans who are still productive. He mentioned that when asked about the difference between the Falcons and Broncos last year after Denver broke a playoff drought that lasted for all of Simmons’ tenure. 

“I mean, even when I played against them and I’m watching a film, I just felt, and this is no shade at anyone — I feel when you have a team that is young, and you can mold, they buy in a lot faster than guys that are older and have seen it and have done things differently for however long that is,” Simmons said.

“And so people can take that how they’re going to take it. It’s not a shot at anyone, but the guys bought in. Sean is an amazing coach. And when you have that combination, good things happen. Not all the time, right? But good things tend to happen. And so I think last year was just a byproduct of the team buying in. That showed up in a lot of their games.”

Simmons, 31, is a former third-round pick of the Broncos out of Boston College back in 2016. He played out the final year of his four-year, $3.02 million rookie contract that included a $645,420 signing bonus and was franchise-tagged by the Broncos in 2020.

Simmons was franchised again before he signed a four-year, $61 million extension with the Broncos in 2021. He was set to make a base salary of $14.5 million in the final year of that deal in 2024 when the Broncos released him in February. 

Atlanta signed Simmons to a one-year, $8 million contract for the 2024 season.

In 2024, Simmons appeared in 16 games for the Falcons and recorded 62 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass deflections. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list.