Justin Simmons Breaks Silence on Stalemate with Broncos on Long-Term Deal
GM John Elway never failed to close a long-term deal with a player under the franchise tag, until this past offseason with safety Justin Simmons.
After Simmons and the Denver Broncos failed to reach an accord on a new contract, the fifth-year safety will play under the franchise tag of more than $11M.
But while the two sides couldn't reach an agreement, and KUSA's Mike Klis tweeted about the contract negotiations that made Simmons take exception, the Broncos defender is moving forward under the tag.
"Obviously on my end, I could have done a better job communicating," Simmons said during a virtual presser Thursday. "Just first time going through it—just trying to understand what’s going on and learning and trying to figure out what would be best for my family—I just want to say I appreciate everyone with just the patience and the growth that I’ve had during that time and continually growing."
Simmons moving past those issues, of course, doesn't mean he won't be seeking a deal after the season that he believes is best for him. Instead, it means he's focused on the upcoming season.
"Moving forward as it stands now, obviously I’m under the tag for the year," Simmons said. "My focus right now is just bringing this team together as close as we can with the new additions that we’ve got and really focus on winning football games.
"I think there’s always a time and place to be able to talk about extensions and this for me and this for me. I just feel like moving forward right now, what’s best is to talk about the team."
This exemplifies the kind of person Simmons is. He's demonstrated that on the field with his improved play each season, and it's shown off the field with his charity work that earned him the Broncos' nomination for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year last year, and his speaking out about racial injustice, with the intent to raise awareness and promote discussion about how society can do better.
It's not surprising that Simmons was impressed with what Von Miller had to say earlier this week about how to be a better leader. Simmons observed that Miller has spent less time talking about leadership and more time demonstrating it in training camp, and that's left an impression on the fifth-year safety.
"I realized being a young leader myself that, man, these are the steps, these are the measures that I need to take as a leader," Simmons said. "I need to follow suit and I have to make sure I’m doing the things that I’m doing so that younger guys that are watching me are following my example and what I think the example of Von is setting. That trickle effect is kind of the steps that I’m trying to take as a leader on the defense and as a team.”
Simmons' willingness to be a leader, on and off the field, is no doubt a big reason why Broncos fans were hopeful the team would get a deal done with him. Though fans were no doubt disappointed a deal wasn't reached, Simmons is keeping things in perspective.
"In the grand scheme of everything going on, this is a first for everyone," he said. "You’ve got the pandemic that’s going on and all these different things. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t able to work out on both sides. Moving forward, I think I’ve always been a guy my whole career that’s just been confident in myself and what I can do."
Another quality season from Simmons might be enough to lead to a new contract, regardless of circumstances. The safety remarked that he's excited about some of the new players added to the defense and he is confident that things will work out for him when it comes to a new deal down the road.
"Everything’s always going to work itself out," Simmons said. "Not to be a super optimistic guy, but everything will always work itself out. I’m just excited to see where this thing heads.”
No doubt, Broncos fans feel the same way about the future of the team -- and about Simmons being a part of that future.
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