Shortly after trading for pass rusher Matt Judon, the Atlanta Falcons made another splash by signing former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. The Falcons officially announced the move Sunday. Simmons recently met with Atlanta and the New Orleans Saints.
Simmons was waived by the Broncos back in March in a cost-cutting move that saved the organization $14.5 million. That came after eight seasons with the franchise that drafted him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Boston College. In that time, Simmons had established himself as one of the top safeties in the league. He was named Second Team All-Pro four times and a two-time Pro Bowler. In 2022, he also was the co-leader for interceptions with six.
The now 30-year-old has faced some injuries over the past couple of years, which may have helped contribute to him remaining on the free agent market for this long. He was limited to 12 games in 2022 due to a quad injury that saw him land on injured reserve in mid-September. Last year, he missed two games.
Even if he may be entering the back half of his career, Simmons should continue to be a strong piece to an NFL secondary when healthy. In his 15 games played in 2023, he tallied 70 tackles, eight pass breakups, a sack, and three interceptions.
The Falcons are dealing with injuries at the safety position. Second-year safety DeMarcco Hellams was carted off the field a few minutes into Atlanta's first preseason game, and he was spotted with a cast around his lower leg. Pairing Simmons with fellow All-Pro Jessie Bates III would give the Falcons one of the top safety duos in the NFL.
