A Broncos reunion with Justin Simmons is starting to make sense

The Denver Broncos and Justin Simmons parted ways just about five months ago.

Perhaps, a reunion could be in the works?

When news broke on Monday morning that head coach Sean Payton had surprisingly cut Caden Sterns, it’s safe to say a few eyebrows were raised.

Sterns had just gotten healthy enough to come off the PUP list and return to practice. But apparently what Payton saw in the week he was back on the field wasn’t good enough. After practice, Payton gave the politically correct response, but something feels odd about this.

“I visited with Caden this morning and just told him that right now we felt like it was in the best interest of our team. Especially this early where he’ll have a chance to either possibly sign with another team or possibly be traded,” Payton said.

Sterns wasn’t traded. By the time Monday afternoon rolled around, he had been flat out waived by the Broncos.

Yes, Sterns has battled tough injuries the past couple of seasons. But it’s a weird time in training camp to give up on a fifth-round pick from 2021.

Unless, Payton has something else brewing.

Simmons is still shockingly a free agent, with no one understanding why a top-100 player in the NFL doesn’t have a job. Training camps have been rolling around the league for a couple of weeks now, and Simmons was spotted at a local driving range recently just minutes from Broncos Park.

Maybe he and his agent are demanding too much money, with contenders balking at the price. Or maybe the market isn’t what anyone expected for a 30-year-old safety who’s never made the playoffs.

That, of course, isn’t the fault of Simmons. He joined the Broncos the year after they won Super Bowl 50 and haven’t had a serviceable QB since. He was the bright spot on some very bad teams over the last several years.

Simmons played eight great seasons in Denver, finishing with 30 interceptions, more than 600 tackles and two Pro Bowl nods. He just was drafted by a squad without a plan at the exact wrong time.

However, the Broncos were scheduled to pay Simmons a little more than $18 million in 2024. That’s not a price Payton could afford after taking on the massive dead cap hit when cutting Russell Wilson.

But what about at a price of $5 million? That’s what veteran safety Quandre Diggs just got from the Tennessee Titans over the weekend. And it’s a number that could be a lot more appealing to the Broncos front office and Payton on a team that doesn’t have much veteran leadership.

Safety Brandon Jones is already out of camp with a hamstring injury. He should be back soon, but we know those things can linger all season. P.J. Locke showed flashes in 2023, but with Sterns no longer in the mix, the position could use another body.

JL Skinner is an unknown, as is Devon Key. Why not throw Simmons back in the fold and let him lead the secondary?

It would’ve felt like a crazy idea just a couple of months ago, but it’s now Aug. 6 and Simmons doesn’t have a job. He’s clearly still living in the area — and nearby team headquarters. There has to be part of him that misses being at Broncos training camp, something that’s become part of his life over the last decade.

Yes, Simmons probably want to chase a Super Bowl this season. No one can blame him, but based on the lack of activity in the market, maybe that’s just not in the cards.

Instead, Simmons could re-sign in Denver and either have another good year that gets him a contract with a contender next spring, or maybe even be moved at the trade deadline if the Broncos are out of it.

We’ve seen crazier things happen before. And as the days pass, it’s becoming more clear the Broncos might need Justin Simmons. And he might need them.