Justin Simmons Fantasy

Denver Broncos free safety Justin Simmons was only targeted 44 times in 2019, but he was very effective when he was the nearest defender on a target. His 34.1 percent ballhawk rate -- the percentage of targets where the nearest defender made a play on the football -- was the best among those meeting NFL.com's Nick Shook's criteria by more than six percentage points. Simmons' catch rate allowed below expectation wasn't all that impressive at minus-6.7 percent, but his tight-window percentage of 34.1 helped him allow a low 34.7 passer rating. The Broncos slapped the franchise tag on the 26-year-old and hope to iron out a long-term extension before July 15. Simmons is the strength of Denver's secondary now and is a fringe defensive back starter in IDP leagues.

Jun. 4th • 7:27 PM

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said that the team and safety Justin Simmons are in "active negotiations" on a contract extension and the two sides have exchanged offers. The two sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal after the Broncos placed the franchise tag on Simmons in March. The 26-year-old has become a leader of Denver's secondary, recording 90-plus combined tackles each of the last two seasons, and he also had a career-high four interceptions and 15 passes defensed over a full season in 2019. The two sides should be able to get something done before this summer.

Apr. 20th • 3:33 PM

The Denver Broncos officially placed their franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons on Friday, according to a source. This was an expected move, and the two sides will now try to work out a long-term contract extension. Simmons, 26, is a huge part of Denver's defense, and secondary in particular, especially with cornerback Chris Harris Jr. set to hit the open market once free agency begins. The former third-round pick in 2016 has topped 90 tackles each of the last two seasons and had a career-high four interceptions in 16 games in 2019. In four seasons with Denver, Simmons has 288 total tackles, two sacks, 11 interceptions and one touchdown. He's put himself on the IDP map.

Mar. 13th • 2:01 PM