Former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons has a new, unexpected suitor in his shockingly quiet and dragged out free agency. The Broncos released Simmons before NFL Free Agency earlier this year, and just about everybody expected him to sign somewhere right away.
Simmons is a former Pro Bowl, All-Pro safety who is a huge asset in the locker room and the community on top of his elite contributions on the field. No player has more interceptions than Simmons (30) since he arrived in the league back in 2016. The fact that he's still sitting there as a free agent is nothing short of a shock at this point.
Apparently, some NFL team finally agreed. That team is the New Orleans Saints, who are hosting Simmons on a free agent visit and potential "tryout" on Wednesday.
New Orleans Saints emerge as suitor for former Broncos safety Justin Simmons
Justin Simmons is coming in to tryout for the Saints tomorrow
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) August 7, 2024
Simmons has familiarity with some of the Saints' coaching staff in Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson. Woods coached Simmons for his first three NFL seasons in Denver and is now the defensive coordinator in New Orleans. Those two have history that goes way back. Marcus Robertson was Simmons's position coach in Denver in 2017 and 2018.
There's no doubt that the Saints have had an affinity for former Denver Broncos defensive backs in recent years. Remember when they signed Champ Bailey once upon a time? Bradley Roby has actually played there for a handful of years, and remember when they had Chris Harris Jr. as well?
The Saints have been no strangers to bringing in former Denver Broncos defensive backs, but the idea of Justin Simmons signing there would seem a little odd. Although the Saints are typically solid at worst, they don't exactly fit the bill of what we've been told all offseason, which is that Simmons wants to wait and sign with a clear "contender".
The Saints missed the playoffs last season and with Derek Carr at the helm, are they really a true contender? It's hard to say that. And that's not to say that the Denver Broncos are obviously a clear contender by comparison to the Saints, but it might have made a lot more sense if Simmons had signed with the 49ers, Lions, Ravens, or someone like that.
Those teams stand out as obvious "contenders" and the Saints aren't on the same competitive tier. The longer Simmons has lingered in free agency, the more you couldn't help but wonder whether he might return to Denver this season. Now, that appears less likely than ever.