The New Orleans Saints may land four-time All-Pro safety and former Denver Bronco, Justin Simmons this offseason. The market for safeties remains widely available for any team that needs to improve their secondary, but the Saints may need one to complement the other. Simmons may be out of their budget but if he doesn’t find a landing spot soon enough then he could sign a one-year deal. New Orleans released Marcus Maye for cap-saving purposes but they need an upgrade alongside Tyrann Mathieu.
Last season, he notched three interceptions during the 2023 season, one season after he logged a career-high six picks. Simmons also deflected eight passes, forcing two fumbles, recovering one and recording a sack. He was in his third year of a four-year, $61 million contract. His release saves the Denver Broncos $14.5 million off the Broncos cap, while they continue to shave off more.
Head Coach Sean Payton has effectively started a rebuild while there is speculation about what they may do next in terms of that. The biggest free agency news was Russell Wilson being released and heading to the Steelers, but losing Simmons is costly for the defense. Denver had one of the worst defenses in the league last year and it’ll probably get worse if they don’t make any moves. The Boston College product established himself as one of the game’s best safeties and it won’t be too long until he finds a new home.
It’s still surprising now that he hasn’t found a team yet despite the level of production and illustrious career he has. He’s still a reliable player but the Broncos were left with no choice but to let him go. It’s still a wonder why he hasn’t been selected yet though which is interesting to speculate.
New Orleans Saints May Land Four-Time All-Pro Safety Justin Simmons
Mathieu Reacts to Simmon’s Release
The news is still shocking many talking heads across the league, despite knowing the reasoning behind the release. Anytime a shocking release happens, many are bound to voice their opinion, especially on X as Mathieu did. The New Orleans star playmaker chose his words wisely while expressing himself in a rant.
“I want to go on a rant because my favorite safety got released but he’s a pro’s pro and one of the best in the game,” he said. “He will land on his feet. He shouldn’t have to wait to get paid. He’s that good on the field and off. What more could one do? Some teams are getting comfortable underpaying players. Keep it real! He earns it!’”
Mathieu was entering the final year of his three-year, $28.3 million contract. However, they’re working on a restructuring deal to avoid a $10 million dead cap hit. It was looking imminent that Simmons was going to find a home. His teaming with Mathieu would give the Saints a gauntlet of a defense.
Other Potential Fits for Him
The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills seem to be the top three options for Simmons. He’s entering an age in his career where he could be ring-chasing. Simmons replacing L’Jarius Sneed after leaving for the Titans would make the Chiefs look like they haven’t lost their superstar in the first place. The Ravens have lost talent in their secondary including seventh-round pick Geno Stone.
Simmons and Marlon Humphrey teaming in the secondary could make Baltimore a Super Bowl-caliber-like team. The Bills recently signed Mike Edwards but he isn’t anything like Jordan Poyer or Tre’Davious White were in their secondary. Adding someone like Simmons could make their defense special again.
