S Justin Simmons Announces Retirement
Last month, Justin Simmons revealed a desire to return to the NFL in 2026. But the accomplished safety has since changed his mind. Simmons announced his retirement Wednesday.
Retiring as a Bronco (via an announcement shared by the team), Simmons exits the NFL after nine seasons. Eight of those came in Denver, with the All-Pro spending the 2024 season in Atlanta. Simmons, 32, did not play last season. He timed his announcement 10 years after being drafted.
Simmons was not part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 defense, arriving months after the team’s championship parade as a 2016 third-round pick. But he enjoyed several quality seasons as the franchise transitioned from its Peyton Manning era. Simmons ended his career as a four-time All-Pro and was among his era’s best ballhawks.
The Broncos parked Simmons behind their No Fly Zone safety starters — T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart — as a rookie but released Ward upon deeming the Boston College product ready by Year 2. Simmons then anchored the Broncos’ secondary for a few seasons, eventually commanding two franchise tags (in 2020 and ’21).
Simmons was among many players to play on the tag in 2020 — when the COVID-19 pandemic created cap uncertainty — and was tied to a $11.44MM salary that year. Simmons earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and saw the Broncos re-tag him in 2021. Simmons joined Chris Godwin, Brandon Scherff and Leonard Williams as players to receive the tag in 2020 and ’21 (Dak Prescott was procedurally tagged in ’21) but ended up with a market-setting extension soon after the Broncos applied tag No. 2.
The Broncos gave Simmons a four-year, $61MM extension in March 2021. At the time, that represented the safety position’s high-water mark. Jamal Adams‘ ill-fated Seahawks payday months later established distance between his pact and Simmons’, but the Broncos certainly saw more value from their safety accord. Simmons found spots on the next three All-Pro second teams, camping on that tier; from 2019-23, Simmons earned four second-team All-Pro nods.
Simmons finished his Bronco career with 32 interceptions, recording at least five each year from 2020-22; he tied for the league lead with six in ’22. The Broncos paired Simmons with first-round cornerback Patrick Surtain for three seasons, with both earning All-Pro acclaim in 2022. Simmons helped the Broncos complete a turnaround in Sean Payton‘s first months on the job. After missing the team’s infamous 70-20 blowout loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, Simmons was part of a five-game win streak that had the Broncos as surprising playoff contenders. One of those wins included a Week 8 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, which featured one of Simmons’ six career interceptions of Patrick Mahomes.
As the Broncos braced for a then-record-smashing single-player dead money hit — from Russell Wilson‘s release — they included Simmons’ contract as a way to reach cap compliance. Denver released Simmons along with Wilson in March 2024. He caught on later with the Falcons, who authorized a one-year deal worth $7.5MM. Atlanta paired Simmons with Jessie Bates that season, and while the veteran made 16 starts that year, he did not land anywhere in 2025. The Eagles and Panthers — in potential reunions with Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero — emerged as possibilities for Simmons last summer, but nothing came to fruition.
Although Simmons never played in a playoff game, he led all safeties in INTs during his eight-year Broncos run. While Simmons is unlikely to follow decorated Broncos safeties Steve Atwater, John Lynch and Brian Dawkins into the Hall of Fame, he will likely land in the franchise’s ring of fame down the road. The free safety staple retires having earned more than $69MM over the course of his career.
S Justin Simmons Wants To Play In 2026
Free agent safety Justin Simmons was on multiple teams’ radars last summer, but the two-time Pro Bowler wound up sitting out the entire season. Despite that, the 32-year-old has not closed the door on his career.
“I’m still a free agent, looking to play for a contender, and we’ll see where that ends up,” Simmons said on his new podcast, The Weekly Cut.
Simmons also wanted to join a contender last season, at which point he was coming off a one-year stint in Atlanta. No deal came together for the longtime Bronco, who spent his first eight years in Denver. The ball-hawking Simmons earned second-team All-Pro honors four times as a member of the Broncos, with whom he racked up an eye-opening 71 passes defensed and 30 interceptions over 118 games. He led the NFL in picks (six) in 2022.
Simmons’ fruitful run in Denver ended when the team released him in a cost-cutting move in March 2024. While Simmons sat on the open market for five months, the Falcons gave him a fully guaranteed $7.5MM a few weeks before the season began. Pairing with fellow standout safety Jessie Bates, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound Simmons registered a 91.37% defensive snap share over 16 starts. Simmons notched seven PDs and two picks, but Pro Football Focus ranked his performance just 68th among regulars at his position.
Even though he missed a year, Simmons is among the most accomplished unsigned safeties remaining as free agency nears the three-week mark. Simmons will not approach his previous payday if he lands anywhere, though, and a deal may not materialize until next month’s draft is in the books.
Justin Simmons Aims To Sign With Contender
Last year, Justin Simmons was among the veteran safeties who remained on the market deep into free agency. He ultimately took a deal with the Falcons in August, but another change of scenery is expected this time around. 
In 2024, Simmons made it clear signing with a playoff contender was his top priority. The two-time Pro Bowler took a one-year pact with the Falcons in a bid to reach the postseason for the first time in his career. Things did not work out as planned on that front, but appearing in the playoffs is once again Simmons’ main goal.
“I think Atlanta I would still pick 10 out of 10 times if I was in the spot [I was in] last year,” the 31-year-old said in an interview with Sean Keeler of the Denver Post. “But in terms of where I’m at now, [I’m] being a little bit more picky where we want to go and where we want to call home next… the next two years, a year, whatever it is… but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now.”
The Panthers have shown interest in Simmons, although a report from last month indicated no deal was imminent. The Eagles are also on the nine-year veteran’s shortlist, and in the wake of the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, Philadelphia could certainly use an experienced addition in the secondary. Joining the Super Bowl champions would also allow for Simmons to reunite with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio after the two worked together in Denver.
Playing on a $7.5MM pact last season, Simmons operated as a full-time starter in Atlanta but was unable to replicate the ball production of his best Broncos seasons. A long-term deal is unlikely regardless of where he winds up in 2025, and his next contract could check in at a lower rate. Still, any number of teams could stand to add a veteran of 134 games who has appeared on the second All-Pro team four times in his career.
On the other hand, the list of serious contenders still in need of starters at the safety spot just before training camp is comparatively short. It will be interesting to see when Simmons signs his latest pact and if his next destination provides him with the opportunity to play postseason football for the first time in his career.
Eagles, Panthers On ‘Shortlist’ For Justin Simmons
Interest in free agent safety Justin Simmons has started to build as teams wrap up mandatory minicamp and plan their summer roster moves.
The Eagles and the Panthers are on a “shortlist” to land the nine-year veteran, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy). Both teams could use the safety depth after moving on from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Xavier Woods this offseason, respectively.
Simmons is coming off somewhat of a down year in Atlanta after earning Pro Bowl or second-team All-Pro honors in four of his previous five seasons in Denver. That period included three years under then-Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, who is now the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. Simmons has played some of his best football in Fangio’s two-high defenses and could look to reunite with his former coach this year.
Simmons is familiar with Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, as well. He held the same position in Denver in 2022, when Simmons recorded a career-high six interceptions. Evero also spent the 2021 season in Los Angeles under Raheem Morris, who coached Simmons in Atlanta last year.
The Panthers have reached out to Simmons’ representation, per Joe Person of The Athletic, though no deal is imminent. He earned $7.5MM from the Falcons last year and is likely looking for similar compensation for the 2025 season.
S Justin Simmons Does Not Expect To Re-Sign With Falcons
In advance of free agency, Justin Simmons said he wanted to remain with the Falcons. The decorated safety could still work out a new deal after his Atlanta debut in 2024, but he is not expecting that to take place.
“It was a one-year thing,” Simmons said during an appearance on Up & Adams (video link). “They like kind of their younger guys, too. Sometimes things just don’t work out and you go in different directions. I don’t know if the door’s necessarily closed. But we’ll see.”
Atlanta already has Jessie Bates on the books for the next two years. Simmons joined him late last offseason, and he operated as a full-time starter. The latter recorded a pair of interceptions and seven pass deflections, but overall he was unable to match his success seen during much of his eight-year Broncos tenure. Simmons remains on the open market, and at this point it would come as no surprise if his next contract were to be in place after this month’s draft.
Simmons did not sign with the Falcons until last August, missing part of training camp as a result. If the 31-year-old had his way, a repeat of that timeline would not take place this time around. Considering the fact Atlanta allowed him to test free agency and has not made a known effort to re-sign him, a contract with a third career team will be likely. The two-time Pro Bowler could again provide a veteran presence to a Falcons safety group which also features Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams, but one of those two could replace him in the starting lineup next season.
As could be expected, Simmons is also interested in joining a contender at this point of his career. A veteran of 134 games, he has yet to appear in a postseason contest. Competing for a first-team gig may not be feasible depending on where he lands, but the former interceptions leader will aim to land a deal with a team eyeing a deep playoff run in 2025.
“We’ll see,” Simmons added. “I want to go to the best situation, and I want to go to a team that’s going to win. So, we’ll see what that looks like.”
Falcons Meet With Drew Dalman; Grady Jarrett Available In Trade?
MARCH 2: It remains to be seen how the recent conversations between team and player went, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes the Falcons are bracing for Dalman to depart by taking a more lucrative offer than the one they are prepared to make. Ryan Neuzil is in place as a potential successor atop the center depth chart who will require a much smaller cap commitment on Atlanta’s part.
FEBRUARY 25: Poised to be one of the top free agent offensive linemen available, Drew Dalman expressed interest in staying with the Falcons. The team will now take a look at what it will take to make that happen.
The Falcons will meet with their starting center’s camp at the Combine, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes. Terry Fontenot stopped short of calling Dalman a player the franchise wants to keep, but the upcoming conversations point to the organization at least determining a price point.
Dalman, 26, replaced Matt Hennessy at center and started for most of the past three seasons. An ankle injury tripped up the former fourth-round pick last year, but Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-five pivot in each of the past two years. After Lloyd Cushenberry parlayed a good contract year in Denver into $26MM guaranteed at signing — then the second-most among centers — Dalman will probably be angling for a similar number, especially after the news of the salary cap’s latest $20MM-plus spike.
The Falcons, however, have three veteran contracts along their O-line already, rostering Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. Atlanta’s right tackle is, however, in a contract year. The Falcons have until 11am CT on March 10 to conduct exclusive negotiations with Dalman and their other UFAs-to-be.
One of their other unsigned starters, Matt Judon is set to hit the market for the second time. The Falcons have not contacted Judon’s camp about a re-signing yet, Ledbetter adds. That could take place in Indianapolis, but Judon did not reprise his pre-injury form after being acquired for a third-round pick last summer. Despite pursuing better Patriots terms in 2024, Judon did not seek a Falcons extension upon arrival.
The former Division II success story, after suffering a season-ending biceps tear in 2023, posted 5.5 sacks and nine QB hits. Both totals pale in comparison to his peak Patriots and Ravens work, not providing much momentum for a free agency payday. Judon’s age (33 in August) will not help his cause, either. But he should at least attract interest from teams considering a midlevel contract to help their edge-rushing units.
The other veteran added on defense shortly before the season, Justin Simmons is expected to reach the market, according Channel 2 Action News’ Zach Klein. Simmons started 16 games for the Falcons last season, intercepting two passes. Like Judon, however, the four-time All-Pro did not deliver on the level he had with his previous team. The former Broncos defensive centerpiece played out a one-year, $7.5MM deal. At 31, Simmons may need to settle for another short-term pact after waiting for a notable deal to materialize for months last year. The nine-year veteran wants to stay in Atlanta, however.
Simmons and Grady Jarrett share an agent, Todd France, who informed Klein he will likely speak with the Falcons about the status of the veteran defensive lineman. “Grady is an Atlanta Falcon right now, so we’ll see where that goes,” France said. Fontenot (via Ledbetter) did not call Jarrett an untouchable player in trades.
GMs rarely make anyone truly untouchable, though votes of confidence about players’ futures with teams often come out of the Combine. The longest-tenured Falcon defender, Jarrett has played nine seasons with the team. The interior D-lineman is on contract No. 3 with Atlanta, having signed a three-year, $49.5MM deal in 2022. Jarrett’s pact runs through the 2025 season; none of his $15.25MM base salary is guaranteed.
Jarrett, 32 in April, has resided as Atlanta’s top D-lineman for most of his career. He returned from an October 2023 ACL tear last season, notching just 2.5 sacks and finishing with 12 QB hits. The latter total tied for sixth in Jarrett’s career. He would still seemingly garner trade interest, but with a team likely needing to work out a new deal that goes beyond 2025, expecting a major return might be overly optimistic.
As the Falcons attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought, Jarrett’s status will be one of the questions Fontenot’s staff will need to answer in the coming weeks.
Justin Simmons Wants To Stay With Falcons
The Falcons teamed two of this era’s best safeties last season, signing Justin Simmons to join Jessie Bates. Simmons stayed in free agency for months awaiting the right deal, but the former Broncos All-Pro is headed back to the market soon.
Having agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.5MM, Simmons did better than most of the safeties who became cap casualties last year. The longtime Bronco’s hopes of snapping his playoff drought did not come to fruition, however, with the Falcons missing out. Still, the 31-year-old defender is interested in sticking around under a new defensive staff.
Raheem Morris remains, of course, but the second-year Falcons HC fired DC Jimmy Lake after one season and replaced him with Jets interim leader Jeff Ulbrich. Despite the changes, Simmons wants to stay in Atlanta, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.
As Bates continued to justify the four-year, $64MM deal he signed in 2023, Simmons joined him as a starter. The nine-year veteran logged 16 starts for Atlanta. Pro Football Focus did not view the four-time All-Pro’s work favorably under Morris and Lake, slotting him 68th among safety regulars last season. Simmons still intercepted two passes to run his career count to 32. Since Simmons’ 2016 rookie year, that total leads the NFL.
Needing to create cap space while facing the record-smashing Russell Wilson dead money bill, the Broncos released Simmons last March. They brought in ex-Dolphin Brandon Jones, who played well on a three-year, $20MM deal. This lower-cost formula, with the aid of Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, helped produce a playoff berth. Simmons could certainly pursue a team in better position compared to the Falcons on the market, but his days of commanding big-ticket deals are over. The Broncos moved the twice-franchise-tagged safety’s four-year, $61MM contract off their books, and the ballhawk’s 2024 Falcons season probably did not vault him close to that contractual stratosphere.
With a substantial Kirk Cousins dead money hit imminent, the Falcons are not in good cap shape. They are projected to be more than $4MM over the 2025 salary ceiling, even after the Wednesday news of its roughly $280MM landing spot. A cost-conscious free agency appears likely in Atlanta, so it will be interesting to see if Simmons is linked to another team soon. The Falcons, who also have late-summer acquisition Matt Judon due for free agency, have until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with their 2024 safety addition.
DB Notes: Lassiter, Texans, Colts, Simmons, Davis, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Hawks, Jags
The Texans showed interest in re-signing Steven Nelson this offseason, but the two-year Houston starter ended up retiring. Houston has identified another clear candidate to start opposite Derek Stingley. The defending AFC South champions are prepared to roll with second-rounder Kamari Lassiter as their No. 2 cornerback. Not much drama exists here, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Lassiter has worked with Houston’s first-team defense since the offseason program. Although Lassiter sustained an ankle injury earlier during training camp, the No. 42 overall pick reclaimed his starter post — ahead of former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson — and will be expected to work in tandem with Stingley.
“For a young guy to come in and not be noticed a lot for doing something negative, everything has been positive with Kamari,” Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s exactly the guy we saw from the Georgia film.”
Here is the latest from several other DB situations:
- The Chiefs still need to decide on a No. 2 corner opposite Trent McDuffie. Long known for moving on from corners after one contract (as they most recently did with L’Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs have a few options — most acquired in 2022. Fourth- and seventh-round picks from that draft Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, who played extensively last year, lead the way. No one has seized the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who has 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, rookie sixth-rounder Kamal Hadden and former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph making the team as well (subscription required). Versatile performer Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-rounder, will be in the mix at corner, but Andy Reid said (via Taylor) this could be a rotation into the season.
- Justin Simmons accepted a one-year, $7.5MM Falcons deal. That price being so far beyond what other veteran safeties commanded confirms a decent market formed for the perennial All-Pro. The Colts‘ questions in the secondary did not lead them into this chase, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins indicating the team did not make the ex-Bronco an offer. Former third-rounder Nick Cross, recently re-signed veteran Ronnie Harrison and third-year performer Rodney Thomas have rotated in alongside Julian Blackmon in camp. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds said no safety moves are anticipated.
- Seeing his three-year contract traded from the Buccaneers to the Lions, Carlton Davis remains scheduled to be a 2025 free agent. Davis will be 27 for most of this season, which should give him a decent market — should no Detroit extension be reached in the meantime — come March. A new agency will be representing the former second-rounder for his next negotiation. Davis is joining Athletes First, per a recent announcement.
- Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller will start on the boundary for the Dolphins, with former UDFA success story Kader Kohou in place as Miami’s slot defender. Despite Cam Smith being a second-round pick, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Ethan Bonner — a 2023 UDFA who has stood out in training camp — is the frontrunner to be Miami’s top backup CB. Bonner, who recently returned from a concussion sustained in camp, played only 11 defensive snaps last season. While Smith recently came back after missing nearly three weeks due to injury, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds he is week-to-week after sustaining another injury against the Commanders. Despite playing 15 games last season, Smith only saw 20 defensive snaps.
- The base value on Julian Love‘s second Seahawks contract checks in at $33MM, per OverTheCap. The three-year deal includes $11.97MM guaranteed at signing and dropped Love’s cap number by just more than $1.6MM. Option bonuses (worth a combined $4.8MM) are in place to keep the cap hits lower, with both Love’s 2024 and ’25 cap figures coming in at just over $6MM. Love’s 2025 base salary ($1.2MM) is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LIX, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson tweets.
- The Jaguars‘ Tashaun Gipson reunion pact is worth $2.55MM, Wilson tweets. It comes with $525K guaranteed. The Jags will still be shorthanded at safety for a while. In addition to Gipson’s six-week suspension, Doug Pederson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) Andrew Wingard‘s recent knee injury will sideline him for at least a few games.
Falcons To Sign S Justin Simmons
No Matt Judon extension is complete, but the Chris Lindstrom restructure will make way for another key payment. Justin Simmons‘ recent Falcons visit will produce a deal.
Atlanta is bringing in the longtime Denver safety starter on a one-year, $8MM accord, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will give the Falcons an elite safety duo, with Simmons — a four-time All-Pro — set to team with Jessie Bates. Former Simmons Broncos teammate Su’a Cravens, now with CBS Sports Central, initially reported this deal would come to pass. Raheem Morris and Falcon defenders Bates, AJ Terrell and Grady Jarrett joined Simmons for dinner during his visit, with veteran reporter Jordan Schultz indicating this helped seal the deal.
[RELATED: Falcons Send Patriots Third-Rounder For Judon]
Simmons will receive $7.5MM fully guaranteed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Of course, guarantees on this contract are less important due to vested veterans’ salaries locking in just before Week 1. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe labels this a one-year, $7.5MM pact that features a $500K incentive for a first-team All-Pro nod.
Still, Simmons does far better than a veteran-minimum deal after a lengthy free agency stay. The former Broncos defensive centerpiece — released in March in a Broncos cost-cutting move — will have a chance to create a 2025 market for himself, and the Falcons will have exclusive negotiating rights with the ninth-year veteran until March.
Since Simmons’ 2016 NFL debut, no one has more interceptions than the former third-round pick. The Boston College product snared 30 in Denver. Four of those came off Patrick Mahomes, though team success eluded the seven-year Denver starter. Drafted two months after the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 win, Simmons soon toiled for a franchise that struggled to replace Peyton Manning. As the Russell Wilson trade did not pan out, Simmons and Patrick Surtain led in keeping the Denver defense afloat. Simmons has camped on the All-Pro second team, landing there four times since 2019.
Although Simmons played under Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero, he will instead land in Atlanta. Morris worked with Evero in Los Angeles, which should make a quicker acclimation process possible for the 30-year-old defender. Simmons had said he wanted to sign with a contender. While the Falcons have not qualified as such since midway through the Dan Quinn years, they have operated aggressively to change that this offseason. Kirk Cousins‘ arrival spearheaded the effort, and Simmons will join Judon in helping Atlanta attempt to snap a postseason hiatus. The Falcons’ drought has lasted almost as long as the Broncos’, with the 2017 divisional round doubling as the team’s most recent playoff outing.
Simmons led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022, helping keep the Broncos in close games amid their maddening Wilson-Nathaniel Hackett season, and his return from injury last year — after the Dolphins’ 70-20 demolition — coincided with a midseason turnaround. Also intercepting five passes during the 2020 and ’21 seasons, Simmons will join a Falcons secondary that just received a strong Bates debut. The ex-Bengal intercepted six passes and forced three fumbles in his first Falcons slate (Simmons forced five fumbles over the past two years). Bates is tied to a four-year, $64MM deal — one that checked in just higher than Simmons’ 2021 Broncos extension.
Given his age, Simmons is unlikely to come too close to a future deal in the ballpark of the one he inked three years ago (four years, $61MM). But he played three years on that contract and collected franchise tag money in 2020. Simmons can push his career earnings past $70MM on this Falcons pact.
The Falcons have former second-round pick Richie Grant under contract, but part-time starter DeMarcco Hellams sustained a significant ankle injury recently. Although Grant has started 32 career games — including 15 last season — this addition stands to reduce his role. It should be expected the Falcons will trot out a Bates-Simmons pair in a secondary that still includes Terrell’s rookie contract.
After the Saints brought in the accomplished safety for a meeting early in training camp, the Falcons will instead swoop in. It will now be interesting to see if they hammer out an agreement with Judon, who spent his final months in New England angling for new terms.
Falcons To Host S Justin Simmons
Another NFC South team is interested in Justin Simmons. The free agent safety is set to visit the Falcons today and tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
[RELATED: Falcons’ DeMarcco Hellams To Miss ‘Signficant’ Time]
Simmons remains on the open market, but the recent increase in interest could soon produce a deal. The Saints hosted him last week, and head coach Dennis Allen noted team and player had previously been in communication during the spring. New Orleans and Simmons seemed to achieve better clarity on the matter of a potential agreement in the wake of last week’s meeting, but today’s news means the team could have competition in finalizing a contract.
Atlanta made a major safety investment via free agency last offseason. Jessie Bates inked a four-year, $64MM deal, and he delivered on expectations during his first Falcons campaign. The former Bengal racked up six interceptions, 11 pass deflections and three forced fumbles; those totals earned him a Pro Bowl invitation and a second-team All-Pro nod.
While Bates thrived in 2023, the Falcons did not enjoy success in the takeaway department. The team only totaled eight interceptions, and adding another playmaker to partner with Bates would go a long way in spurring a step forward in production. Since entering the league in 2016, Simmons has posted 30 interceptions, the most in the NFL during that span. The two-time Pro Bowler has notched at least three picks in each of the past six campaigns.
Simmons has yet to play a postseason game in his eight-year career, and he has said the ability to join a contender in 2024 is a higher priority than securing the most lucrative deal available. Just like the Saints, the Falcons were unable to win an underwhelming NFC South last season and they missed the playoffs as a result. Atlanta now has a new coaching staff and quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fold, though, leading to expectations for a rebound from the Arthur Smith era.
With two weeks remaining in the preseason, Simmons still has some time to find a new home. The 30-year-old will be counted on to handle starting duties wherever he lands, and in the case of Atlanta that would mean partnering with another centerfield-type safety in Bates and relegating Richie Grant to second-team duties. It will certainly be interesting to see how this Falcons visit goes over the coming days. Atlanta currently sits at the bottom of the league in terms of cap space with $3.5MM available, so any Simmons investment would need to be a modest one.