Justin Simmons officially retires from the NFL as a Bronco

Former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons is officially calling it a career.

And he’s doing it with the franchise that drafted him into the NFL 10 years ago to the day.

Simmons and the Broncos announced his retirement on social media on Wednesday morning with an excellent video tribute. He’ll also have a press conference at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit later in the day. 

“Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story.”

Exactly 10 years to the day we drafted him, All-Pro safety @jsimms1119 is retiring a Bronco: pic.twitter.com/rOZbocQU5o

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 29, 2026

Justin Simmons was selected by the Broncos in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the No. 98 overall pick. It was the year after they won Super Bowl 50, so Simmons joined an already elite defense.

Overall he would play eight seasons with Denver, collecting 30 interceptions and posting more than 600 tackles. Simmons also made four AP All-Pro teams in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and two Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2023.

He was a fan-favorite through some of the lean years with the Broncos, playing at an extremely high level when other aspects of the team struggled. Justin Simmons always kept a positive attitude and was a great representative of the organization both on and off the field.

He was the Broncos nominee for the Walton Payton Man of the Year Award three different times and also was the Darrent Williams Good Guy Award winner a trio of seasons. That’s given annually to the player who has professional and courteous dealings with the Denver media.

Simmons was a salary cap casualty in March of 2024, saving the Broncos more than $14 million by releasing him. He landed with the Atlanta Falcons where he played that season before not being on an NFL roster in 2025 and choosing to retire now.

Although Simmons never suited up in a postseason game for the Broncos he’s beloved by the fans and his former teammates. He’s meant a ton to the city of Denver and could one day have a spot in the franchise’s Ring of Fame.

Here’s to a great career and it’ll be exciting to see what the next chapter holds for Justin Simmons.

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