BIOGRAPHY
Justin Simmons was born on November 19th, 1993 in Manassas, Virginia . He is a safety in the NFL.
In 2012, as a freshman he appeared in all 12 of the Eagles games. He started six games at free safety and one at cornerback. He finished seventh on the team with 52 tackles, he was tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles. In 2013, as a sophomore, he appeared in all 13 games, he recorded 34 tackles, 22 solo tackles, and three pass break-ups. In 2014, as a junior, he started all 13 games, the first seven at free safety and the final six at right cornerback, moving due to injuries on the team. For the season, he led the team with 76 tackles, 63 solo, and two interceptions. He finished second on the team with five pass breakups. Before the 2015 season, he was awarded the Jay McGillis Memorial Scholarship Award. For the season, as a senior, he started all 12 games at free safety. He finished the season third on the team with 67 tackles, 49 solo. He was tied for 20th in the nation and second in the conference with five interceptions and tied for first in the conference with three fumble recoveries. He was named Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and ACC head coaches. He was also named Second Team All-ACC by Phil Steele and the Associated Press. He was named to Steele's All-American Fourth Team and ProFootballFocus.com All-America honorable mention.
The Denver Broncos selected Simmons in the third round (98th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Simmons was the seventh safety drafted in 2016. On May 13, 2016, the Denver Broncos signed Simmons to a four-year, $3.06 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $645,420. He has been with the Broncos ever since he was drafted and in that time he was selected to the 2020 pro bowl and the 2019 all-pro second team. On March 5, 2021, the Broncos placed the franchise tag on Simmons for a second consecutive season. He signed a four-year, $61 million contract extension with the team on March 19, 2021.
In Week 1, Simmons suffered a quad injury and was placed on injured reserve on September 14, 2022. He was activated on October 17. Despite missing 5 games, Simmons would tie for the league lead in interceptions with six in 12 games.
In Week 8, Simmons played a large role in the Broncos ending their 16-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the game he recorded two tackles, a fumble recovery, and a fourth-quarter interception. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. It was the first time in his eight-year career that the Broncos beat the Chiefs.
