Denver Broncos five highest-paid players for the 2022 season

Denver Broncos highest-paid player in 2022 no. 3: Justin Simmons, S

2022 cash: $15.1 million

One of the first orders of business for new Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was to re-sign some of the team’s core players offensively and defensively.

Of course, the deals were spread around in 2021 and not all condensed into the offseason, but one of the first moves Paton made as a GM will certainly go down as one of his smartest.

Paton gave safety Justin Simmons a long-term contract making him the highest-paid free safety in the league and one of the top 100 highest-paid players in the league, period.

Simmons responded by having yet another fantastic season in 2021, picking off five passes for the second straight year and breaking up 12 more.

In 2022, Simmons will make $15.1 million in total cash. That $15.1 million figure represents Simmons’ base salary in 2022, which was guaranteed when he signed his contract last year.

With a cap hit of $18.85 million this season, Simmons has one of the biggest cap hits for a defensive back in the league but he’s proven throughout his career to be well worth a substantial investment like that.

If Simmons can match his career-high of five interceptions again this season, he will move into the top 8 all-time in Denver Broncos history in that category.

As young as his career is right now, Simmons is already in the top 10 in Broncos history in career interceptions with 21.