Report: Broncos Place Franchise Tag on S Justin Simmons

The second offseason domino has fallen for the Denver Broncos as 9NEWS' Mike Klis reports that free-agent safety Justin Simmons has been franchise-tagged by the team. The first was the acquisition of veteran cornerback A.J. Bouye.

The tag will pay Simmons $11.545 million if no long-term contract is agreed to between now and the start of the regular season.

Simmons has maintained a positive public posture with regard to the tag, conveying his willingness to play under the tag if push comes to shove. It's highly doubtful that it does, however, as all four players GM John Elway has franchise-tagged since arriving in the Broncos' front office have been signed to multi-year extensions later in the same summer.

Elway released a statement courtesy of Klis.

"We remain focused on reaching a long-term contract with Justin, and he's a big priority for us,'' Elway said in a statement. "This is a placeholder in that process and our goal is the same -- to make sure Justin is a Bronco for a long time."

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Simmons, 26, is coming off a phenomenal fourth year in which he took a quantum leap forward. Proving to be a perfect scheme fit for Vic Fangio, Simmons finished 2019 with 93 combined tackles (65 solo), four interceptions (career-high) and 15 passes defensed.

Though Simmons was snubbed for the Pro Bowl, his 2019 performance earned him second-team All-Pro honors. He was also the Broncos' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

Simmons arrived as a Bronco back in 2016 as a third-round draft pick out of Boston College. Initially serving as the No. 3 safety in Wade Phillips' defense, it didn't take long for Simmons to carve himself out a starting role. He's been a shoe-in starter for the last three seasons and has played every position in the Broncos' defensive backfield.

The Broncos have made clear their commitment to keep Simmons in the Orange and Blue for the foreseeable future. With NFL free agency scheduled to kick off next week, barring a possible reshuffle of the new league year in response to COVID-19, things are about to crystalize for the Broncos.

But it's good to know Simmons has been locked in at least for 2020.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.