Justin Simmons spent his first eight seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and never made the playoffs. After the franchise waived him in 2024, he signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The irony? The Falcons missed the postseason, while the Broncos made it without him, snapping that eight-year drought.
It would be easy for Simmons to hold a grudge — but he doesn’t.
“I mean, I can’t speak for [coach] Sean [Payton],” Simmons said, via the Denver Post. “I have no bad blood with Sean, with anyone in the building. I loved my time there. I will always consider him a friend and a great coach…”
Simmons, who led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022, earned four second-team All-Pro nods and twice made the Pro Bowl during his time in Denver. He played for five different head coaches in those eight seasons, enduring constant turnover and instability while remaining a consistent leader in the secondary.
Justin Simmons landing spots: Eagles, Raiders among top potential destinations for All-Pro safety
Cody Benjamin
Payton took over ahead of the 2023 season and coached Simmons that year as he made the Pro Bowl. However, after the season, Simmons was waived in a cost-cutting move.
“I loved Sean,” Simmons continued. “I love the Walton-Penner [ownership] group and what they have going on. Business decisions happen. And sometimes there are casualties, where both player and fans wish there wasn’t and [there] just is. And both sides could be better from it — and you see they had a successful year. And I’m so happy for them.”
That kind of loyalty — after so many frustrating years and an abrupt exit — shows Simmons’ respect for the organization and understanding that business decisions happen. He recognized the Broncos’ recent success as a result of a young team buying into the coach’s system, something that doesn’t always come easily but can lead to positive results when it does.
Simmons, meanwhile, remains a high-profile free agent as summer training camp approaches. At this stage of his career, he’s focused less on a long-term fit and more on finding a team with a real shot at reaching the postseason — wherever that may be.
“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,” Simmons said. “… The next two years, a year, whatever it is … but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now.”
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