The Denver Broncos are releasing star safety Justin Simmons, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported on Thursday.
Simmons, 30, was scheduled to have a base salary of $14.5 million and a total salary cap hit of $18.25 million in 2024, according to OverTheCap.com. The veteran safety has earned just north of $62.7 million through eight seasons in the NFL, according to Spotrac.com.
The Broncos will eat $3.75 million worth of “dead money” against the cap with a net savings of $14.5 million, according to OTC.
Simmons is the latest star safety to get cut this offseason for cap reasons, joining a list of defensive backs that includes Jordan Poyer, Jamal Adams, Kevin Byard, Quandre Diggs, Rayshawn Jenkins and Eddie Jackson.
It’s possible that Denver could re-sign Simmons for less than he was set to earn in 2024, but the team likely asked the safety to take a pay cut before releasing him.
Simmons entered the league as a third-round pick out of Boston College in 2016. He spent his rookie season as a rotational safety behind T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart before emerging as a full-time starter in 2017.
A two-time Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro, Simmons has recorded double-digit interceptions in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. His 30 career interceptions rank seventh among active players and first overall since the 2016 season.
Simmons ranks seventh on Denver’s all-time interceptions list and he was just four INTs away from tying Champ Bailey at No. 4 on the team’s all-time list. Simmons recorded three interceptions in 15 games last season.
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