Justin Simmons entered the free agent market earlier this offseason after the Denver Broncos released the veteran safety in a cost-saving move.
As training camps around the NFL opened in late July, Simmons continued to search for a new home. But on Thursday, the two-time Pro Bowler appeared to find his new team. Athletes First, which represents Simmons, announced the star defensive back agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL Network reported that Simmons’ contract is worth $8 million, of which $7.5 million is fully guaranteed.
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Second-year safety DeMarcco Hellams suffered an injury last week in the Falcons’ preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris later said Hellams was expected to miss “significant time.”
“DeMarcco got the injury obviously,” Morris said. “He’s going to miss some significant time, but it’s an ankle, so we’ll see what that means.”
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Simmons would now be paired with Jessie Bates III, who received second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after his productive 2023 season. The 30-year-old Simmons has an NFL-best 30 interceptions since 2016. He is also the only player in the league to have at least two picks in each of the past eight seasons.
Only the Vikings’ Harrison Smith (34) and the Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu (33) have more interceptions over that time.
Simmons comes to Atlanta with four second-team All-Pro selections under his belt and remains widely regarded as one of the league’s best players at his position. However, the Broncos defensive unit did take a step back last year, finishing 29th in yards allowed per game. Denver also finished near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game.
Despite bringing in head coach Sean Payton last year, the Broncos offensive woes largely continued, and the team eventually benched quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Simmons acquisition caps a busy week for the Falcons. Atlanta sent a 2025 third-round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for Matthew Judon, adding a much-needed pass rusher to its roster. The teams confirmed the trade on Thursday.
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