Denver Broncos fans who were still holding out hope for Justin Simmons’ return to Mile High can now let go. The former Pro Bowl and All-Pro safety has found a new home with the Atlanta Falcons, marking the end of his lengthy free agency.
Interestingly, the news was first broken by another former Denver safety, Su’a Cravens, who has transitioned into football media and various other ventures, including launching his own signature shoe.
For fans craving Justin Simmons‘ presence on the field, there’s a silver lining – they’ll get to see him play in Denver this season. However, it won’t be in orange and blue. Simmons will be back at Empower Field in mid-November, but this time wearing Falcons colors.
The Week 11 matchup between the Broncos and Falcons will be Denver’s only home game in November, making Justin Simmons’ return even more significant.
The news of Justin Simmons joining the Falcons is both surprising and somewhat relieving. On one hand, Denver won’t have to face him multiple times a year since he’s now in the NFC. On the other hand, the Broncos still have to contend with him at least once this season.
Thankfully, Justin Simmons didn’t sign with an AFC West rival like the Kansas City Chiefs, a scenario that would have been much harder to swallow for Denver fans.
Although Justin Simmons likely received interest from several teams, he only visited the Saints and Falcons during the offseason, at least according to reports. Many assumed he would quickly land with a top-tier team, but he ended up with a team that had a worse record than the Broncos last season.
Despite the Falcons’ struggles last year, the outlook for 2024 seems promising. If quarterback Kirk Cousins stays healthy, Atlanta’s offense could see significant improvement. On defense, the addition of Simmons, along with the recent trade for star pass rusher Matthew Judon from the New England Patriots, gives the Falcons a major boost.
Judon, when healthy, is one of the NFL’s top edge rushers and fills a critical need for Atlanta. Pairing Simmons with Jessie Bates III, already one of the league’s best safeties, creates what could be the NFL’s top safety duo.
While Justin Simmons didn’t end up with the 49ers or another powerhouse team, he has joined a roster that has a shot at making the playoffs in 2024. It will be exciting to see how he performs outside of Denver, and fans can only hope he shines – just not in Week 11.
