Broncos place safety Simmons on IR, 2nd starter lost this week
Dec 13, 2017, 12:31 PM
The Denver Broncos have lost another starter to injury for the rest of the year, as the club placed safety Justin Simmons on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday.
Simmons joins guard Ronald Leary, who was placed on IR Tuesday, as the pair of Broncos players lost for the remainder of 2017 this week.
In his second NFL season, Simmons started each of the 13 games he played, racking up 63 tackles (46 solo), one sack, five passes defensed, and two interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Joining free safety Darian Stewart in the Broncos defensive backfield, Simmons filled the hole left by the departure of T.J. Ward, who was released by Denver during the preseason roster cut down.
Simmons and Leary become the fourth and fifth Broncos starters to land on injured reserve this season, joining defensive end Derek Wolfe, offensive tackle Menelik Watson, and linebacker Shane Ray.
Ray, who suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during the early days of training camp, did return to the field for Denver, as he was activated from injured reserve on Oct. 30.
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