Market for Justin Simmons is cold, including talk of a one-year deal
Apr 3, 2024, 2:09 PM | Updated: Apr 5, 2024, 8:25 am
The Denver Broncos cut safety Justin Simmons nearly a month ago.
And the veteran still hasn’t found a new home, despite NFL free agency being open for weeks.
It’s definitely a little strange, and there are a couple of ways to look at it.
First, perhaps Simmons simply wants too much money, scaring teams off. He played three years of a four-year contract he signed in Denver, worth $61 million. The Broncos saved $14.5 million against the salary cap in 2024 by cutting Simmons, and will take on a dead hit of a little less than $4 million.
Perhaps the two-time Pro Bowler is looking to make that money up, seeking a deal worth around $18 million a year. Teams could be balking at the price.
Second, maybe there’s just not a ton of interest in a 30-year-old safety that has never made the playoffs and was part of just one winning team in his eight years in Denver. That would feel unfair, considering Simmons was a four-time second-team All Pro and had 30 interceptions. He led the NFL with six picks in 2022.
Still, something is up.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, regarded as largely the league’s top insider, was on Philadelphia radio on Wednesday and made some interesting comments. The market is clearly cold, including Schefter speculating about the possibility of a one-year deal for Simmons.
“I don’t think they would based on the logic with Reddick – but if Justin Simmons came in at a number, a price that was friendly, would they do that? Maybe, yeah. I'm making this up, but what if it’s a 1 year deal worth some friendly number, would they do that?”
– @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/017RcfygwI
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 3, 2024
Again, Schefter makes it known he’s thinking out loud, but it’s telling. Clearly he isn’t hearing teams are banging down the door at Simmons’ house to get him to come sign a deal. It could be, in fact, the opposite. Simmons is waiting patiently for a financial incentive that makes sense, as well as the right fit.
Regardless, this has dragged on longer than anyone expected. It’s April 3, and Justin Simmons still hasn’t found a new team.
