Will Broncos & Justin Simmons Get a Multi-Year Extension Done Ahead of Deadline? Report: 'Doesn't Look Good'
On Friday, we learned that Denver Broncos All-Pro safety Justin Simmons would be signing his franchise tag tender. Signing it guarantees the $11.4 million franchise tender that Simmons will earn in 2020.
Usually, players wait until the 11th hour to sign the tag in an effort to maneuver for a multi-year extension instead and that's what Simmons has done. NFL teams commonly use the franchise tag as a placeholder to exclusively negotiate with a player who would have otherwise been an unrestricted free agent.
In the case of GM John Elway, all four players he had applied the franchise tag to since arriving in the Broncos front office back in 2011 were signed to a multi-year extension ahead of the deadline to do so. That July 15 deadline approaches rapidly.
The rumblings I've picked up on the Simmons/Broncos front haven't been encouraging, and as I told the listeners of the Huddle Up Podcast over the weekend, it's now more likely that an extension doesn't get done in time for the deadline. A new report by Broncos insider Mike Klis on Tuesday added additional context.
"Per source, multiyear deal between Broncos and Justin Simmons “doesn’t look good.” After exchange of proposals in April, talks stalled. Two sides have not been talking w/25 hours to deadline. Simmons looking at playing on 1-yr $11.44M tag," Klis tweeted.
If indeed the Broncos and Simmons are unable to come to an accord, it won't be the end of the world. After all, if there was ever going to be an outlier year for Elway's franchise tag precedent, it would be 2020.
With the world shut down for months and social unrest sweeping the nation, NFL teams are very much in a holding pattern with regard to the future. Fan attendance is expected to be significantly reduced in 2020, which will ultimately affect league revenue which informs the 2021 salary cap.
It could also be a blessing in disguise for the Broncos, who might want to see Simmons duplicate his 2019 performance which earned him second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press. Although Simmons is a three-year starter in Denver, he didn't truly break out until his contract year when Vic Fangio and his safety-friendly defense arrived in the Mile High City.
Simmons is a phenomenal leader within the locker room and a great example in the community, which is why Elway has professed a desire to keep him around long-term and get an extension hammered out in time. But if the two sides haven't spoken in months, it's a good indicator that whatever the last proposal was that was exchanged, it gave Elway and company a sticker shock in light of the current economic environment in the NFL. All it would take to change that, though, is a phone call.
Odds are, if Simmons does indeed play out 2020 on the franchise tag, he'll do well and excel. The Broncos by season's end will have a better idea of what the salary cap will be in 2021 and thus what the team's budget will be and can make an aggressive push to get him re-signed then.
Worst-case, the Broncos could always franchise-tag Simmons for a second time, but doing so would come with a hefty financial increase over the $11.4M figure he'll earn this year. Only time will tell.
Either way, Simmons will be a Bronco this year. Fans should take encouragement in that fact. The deadline for the franchise tag is Wednesday, July 15, at 2 pm MDT.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
