The Denver Broncos had a few former players sign with new teams in 2024, and it's clear that they failed on their new squads. The Broncos wanted to instill more of a youth movement in 2024, and they did just that. Sporting one of the younger rosters in the NFL, the Broncos managed to scratch and claw their way to 10 wins and a playoff berth.
And they did it without a few notable players from the prior season where they went 8-9. Each and every year, players come and go, so 2023 into 2024 was no different. Let's look at three former Broncos' players who failed on their new teams in 2024.
3 former Broncos players who failed with their new team in 2024
Josey Jewell, ILB, Carolina Panthers
Josey Jewell signed a free agency deal with the Carolina Panthers last offseason and only managed to suit up for 12 games, racking up 97 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and four QB hits. Jewell has been productive for years now, and the Broncos probably could have used his production in 2024.
However, he signed with a Panthers team that went just 5-12 this past season and allowed 534 points, which comes out to 31.4 points per game. They had the worst scoring defense in the NFL by far, and Josey Jewell was a part of that unit. Drafted by the Broncos back in 2018, Jewell managed to earn a starting role with the Broncos for multiple years, but the team decided to let him test the open market last year.
It didn't work.
Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Only starting 11 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Russell Wilson went 6-5 in those starts, completed just 63.7% of his passes and an OK passer rating of 95.6. He was sacked 33 times in those 11 starts, which is over three times per game. Wilson and the Steelers failed in 2024.
They lost four games in a row to end the year, finished with the same 10-7 record as the Denver Broncos, and also got bounced out in the first round of the NFL playoffs. It was another failed stop for Russell Wilson, who is probably best served being a backup somewhere. Wilson will now enter his age-37 season in 2025.
And right now, I am not sure there is a clear-cut starting job for him anywhere. The Broncos cut ties after just 30 games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and while the financial fallout was huge, it proved to be the right move. Russell Wilson failed with his new team in 2024.
Justin Simmons, S, Atlanta Falcons
The Denver Broncos cut Justin Simmons at the beginning of the 2024 NFL Offseason, and Simmons ended up being a free agent for quite some time. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons and played in 16 games for the team. At one point, the Falcons were 6-3 and in first place in the NFC South, but the team collapsed down the stretch, and the defense was bad all year.
The Falcons' defense ranked 23rd in points allowed, finished 8-9, and missed the playoffs. Simmons had played with the Broncos from 2016-2023 and had never been to the postseason, so it's kind of ironic that the year he leaves, Denver breaks their postseason drought and Simmons still hasn't tasted the playoffs.
Justin Simmons is again a free agent in 2025, and with Denver needing some safety help, a reunion with Simmons could be in the cards.