The stage was set for Aaron Murray to make his triumphant return to football. The University of Georgia legend returned to his collegiate home to play ball for one of the most football-crazy states in the nation. Selected with the second overall pick in the quarterback draft, Murray was supposed to be one of the AAF’s brightest faces. However, everything changed with the emergence of former New York Jets quarterback Matt Simms.
Unlike Murray, Simms actually has some NFL experience to his resume. However, that experience is a rather unremarkable 49% completion percentage, 195 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Simms’ collegiate tenure was similarly unspectacular, while Murray’s was splendid. However, Simms overcame the odds and will officially start the season under center for the Atlanta Legends.
Matt Simms Defies Odds, Earns Atlanta Legends Starting Job Over Aaron Murray
Aaron Murray was always the heavy favorite to win the starting job. As previously mentioned, Murray is a Georgia college legend after his four years with the Bulldogs. Atlanta liked him so much that they “protected” him with the second overall pick in the quarterback draft. Seemingly locked in as the starter, the Legends selected Simms with their second-round pick, likely expecting him to serve as a backup.
However, Simms proved that playing time is earned, not given, in professional sports. Despite all the factors favoring Murray, Simms simply gave head coach Kevin Coyle no choice but to start him. Simms had a strong camp both as a passer and a leader, earning one of five captain positions on the team.
Perhaps what’s most interesting about this move is how Simms fits with offensive coordinator Michael Vick. Vick, famous for his time with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, actually played with Simms in 2014. As a member of the Jets, Vick primarily served as a backup/mentor for Simms and second-round pick Geno Smith. While Smith was obviously the higher-priority quarterback at the time, Vick spent a lot of time at practice and in the film room with Simms. Vick should know Simms’ strengths and weaknesses better than just about anyone in the league and should be able to bring out the best in the 30-year old quarterback.
A Career Journey Against the Odds
For a long time, Simms’ biggest professional accomplishment was being the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms. The youngest Simms had an unremarkable collegiate tenure, throwing just 267 collegiate passes for a 54% completion percentage, 1,818 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Despite these pedestrian numbers, then-Jets head coach Rex Ryan saw some promise in the passer. Following the conclusion of the 2012 NFL Draft, Ryan signed Simms as an undrafted free agent, giving him an invite to training camp.
It was here where Simms’ desire and unwillingness to quit first appeared on the national level. Simms was strictly a camp arm in 2012, only throwing six passes in New York’s final preseason game. Unsurprisingly, Simms didn’t make final cuts and couldn’t even stick around on the practice squad. However, Simms didn’t let this stop him, as he continued to improve off the field before signing back with the Jets for the 2013 season.
Once again, nobody expected much of anything from Simms. However, a vastly-improved Simms put together an impressive preseason run, completing 74.6% of his passes for 478 yards and one touchdown. This performance, combined with a season-ending injury to Mark Sanchez, earned Simms the job as New York’s primary backup quarterback. While he never earned a start, Simms managed to complete 16 of his 31 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while playing in relief.
Simms spent the 2014 season on New York’s active roster before making brief cameos with the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons. While he never made it back onto an active roster, his resiliency to continue his career speaks to his remarkable drive and love of the game.
Last Word on Matt Simms’ Unexpected Promotion
Nobody expected Matt Simms to emerge as Atlanta’s Week One starter. This was Aaron Murray’s show from the start, the Georgia legend was supposed to return to his collegiate state and set the AAF on fire. Instead, Matt Simms defied to take the starting job for the first week of the season.
This move comes as a surprise, as Simms hasn’t looked that impressive at any level of play. However, Simms’ heart and passion for the game makes this move a lot more logical. He’s clearly a fantastic leader, as the quarterback is one of five team captains. Additionally, Simms demonstrated a love for the game by continuing to chase his NFL dream by bouncing around practice squads and the bottom of depth charts from 2012 to 2017. It wasn’t like Simms was doing this for the money, as the quarterback never earned more than the league minimum. Simms is simply a guy who genuinely loves playing the game of football.
Only time will tell if Simms has finally figured out the subtle nuances of the quarterback position. However, the fact he beat out Murray to begin with shows that the coaching staff believes in his ability. Offensive coordinator Michael Vick will know how to play to his strengths. Simms has the heart and the passion to thrive in professional football, and now he’ll have the chance to prove he has the ability to match.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
