NFC South Doormat Could Be Next Stop for Former Broncos All-Pro

In a perfect world, the Denver Broncos still have safety Justin Simmons on the roster and he’s getting to reap the benefits of being one of the NFL’s best players on one of the worst teams for the first part of his career as the Broncos become legit AFC contenders.

In reality, Simmons got the boot before the 2024 season despite making 3 consecutive NFL All-Pro Teams — collateral damage from the disastrous Russell Wilson trade and the $85 million in dead cap money spread out over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Now, Simmons is headed for his third team in 3 years after playing for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 on a 1-year, $7.5 million contract, with The Athletic’s Joseph Person identifying the Carolina Panthers as a possible destination.

“Another potential option (for the Panthers) could be free-agent safety Justin Simmons, who led the league with six interceptions with Denver in 2022 when Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero held the same title with the Broncos,” Person wrote on June 16. “Simmons, who had two picks in 16 starts last year in Atlanta, also has been linked to the reigning Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.”

While it’s impossible to feel bad for someone who has approximately $70.3 million in career earnings, it would sting to see Simmons spend another year with a team that is objectively bad, which Carolina is. The Panthers haven’t had a winning season since 2017 and have a projected over/under win total of 6.5 victories in 2025.

Simmons Starred in Down Era for Modern Broncos

Simmons played the first 8 seasons of his career with the Broncos and was a 4-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler on some truly awful teams — in that stretch the Broncos finished above .500 just once and never made the playoffs.

Denver finally made it back to the postseason following the 2024 season for the first time since 2015, which was also the last season before Simmons joined the team after he was drafted in the third round (No. 98 overall) in the 2016 NFL draft out of Boston College.

ESPN’s Matt Bowen still has Simmons ranked among the best available NFL free agents in the 2025 cycle.

“Simmons, an excellent communicator in the secondary, had two interceptions last season, and he has 32 in his career,” Bowen wrote. “I see his best fit as a veteran addition for a split-safety defense.”

Broncos Don’t Need Help at Safety in 2025

In a weird twist — and one that must pain Simmons — the Broncos have become one of the NFL’s best defenses since he left town.

One of the reasons for that was the emergence of Brandon Jones, who now seems on the verge of becoming one of the NFL’s elite players at his position.

Jones signed a 3-year, $20 million free agent contract with the Broncos in March 2024. Denver signed former NFL All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga to a 3-year, $39 million free agent contract on March 10.

“Jones not only proved the Broncos right in signing him, but he also exceeded expectations by finishing as one of the five highest-graded safeties overall (84.8) and in coverage (89.8) in 2024,” PFF’s Jonathan Macri wrote on May 14. “He played a career-high 1,042 defensive snaps — almost double his previous career high — and looked more comfortable than he ever has in Vance Joseph’s defense, putting him in the conversation as one of the league’s best heading into 2025.”