By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos placed the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons. Simmons is going to be paid around $11.4 million this year. The Broncos would like to sign him long term and they have until July 15 to agree to a contract extension.
Simmons has been with the Denver Broncos since they drafted him in the 3rd-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played in 13 games his rookie year, showing the Broncos what he could do at the NFL level with 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 4 passes defended.
In 2018 he became the starter at free safety. His production improved. Simmons picked the ball off 3 times and totaled 4 passes defended. When it came to tackling, Simmons made sure to bring the runner down since he was the last line of defense with a total of 97 tackles.
Last season Simmons was entering the last year of his rookie deal. He wanted to show the Broncos he deserved to stay in the Mile-High City for years to come. He totaled 93 tackles. Simmons was more in coverage and knocked the ball away from receivers with 15 passes defended. He even had 4 interceptions. He proved he deserved a contract extension.
Denver knew they wanted to keep him once the season was up. They couldn’t agree to a new deal. They decided it was best to place the franchise tag on him, giving the Broncos more time to sign him.
The Broncos can talk to him until July 15th. After that Denver can’t speak with him until the end of the 2021 season. The worst case is Denver will once again place the tag on him for a second consecutive year. If an agreement isn’t reached, his play in 2021 will decide his future.
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