Broncos' Justin Simmons: Career high in interceptions
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Simmons made 69 tackles (42 solo) to go with six interceptions, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery while playing 12 games across the 2022 season.
Simmons finished his strong 2022 campaign tied for the most interceptions in the league. The veteran safety had a solid year on what proved to be a formidable defensive unit in Denver. The 29-year-old set career highs in both interceptions and forced fumbles, though he could've had a bigger year had he not missed five games due to quadriceps and knee injuries. Simmons is under contract with the Broncos through the 2024 season, so he'll likely return for an eighth season in Denver and try to build upon his impressive performance.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Tallies nine tackles Sunday
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Simmons recorded nine tackles (six solo) in Sunday's 51-14 loss to the Rams.
Simmons, who once again played every defensive snap this past weekend versus the Rams, matched his previous season high with nine stops in Week 16. The 29-year-old is now in line to continue serving as a key piece within the Broncos' secondary when the team travels to Kansas City come New Year's Day.
Simmons (knee) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, Ellie Kinney of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons popped up with a knee sprain following Denver's Week 9 bye, leaving him sidelined for Sunday's loss to the Titans. He was then tabbed as day-to-day by Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett following this defeat, and the safety followed this up Wednesday by saying that he expects to play Sunday versus Las Vegas, according to Kinney. Simmons has recorded 23 tackles, two passes defended and one interception while being limited to just four games due to injury this season, though he's played every defensive snap in each of these four contests.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Questionable to play Week 10
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Simmons (knee) is considered questionable to play Sunday against the Titans, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons popped up with a sprained knee coming off Denver's Week 9 bye and did not practice Wednesday. However, he logged back-to-back limited sessions Thursday and Friday, leaving his availability against Tennessee up in the air. Simmons played 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps over the previous three games, recording 14 tackles, two passes defended and a pick, so his absence would be a big blow to the Broncos' secondary.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Sees limited work Thursday
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Simmons (knee) was listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons missed Wednesday's session entirely as a result of a knee sprain, but his ability to return in limited fashion Thursday bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday versus the Titans. The 28-year-old will have one more shot Friday to practice fully, but after playing every defensive snap in Week 8 against Jacksonville, it would be somewhat surprising to see Simmons sidelined this weekend.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Dealing with knee sprain
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Coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday that Simmons is day-to-day with a knee sprain, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
The Broncos are coming off their bye and Simmons played every defensive snap for Denver in Week 8, so it's unclear when the safety suffered the knee injury. Given Hackett's comments, Simmons likely won't practice Wednesday, but he'll have two more opportunities to participate before the team needs to make a decision on his status for Sunday's matchup against the Titans.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Returning Monday
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Simmons (quadriceps) was officially added to the 53-man roster and will play Monday against the Chargers.
Simmons hasn't played since suffering the injury in Week 1 against Seattle. The return of the Pro Bowl safety will be a boost to the Broncos defense Monday night.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Returns to practice
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Simmons (quadriceps) was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons was able to practice with the team Tuesday as a result, and he could return to play as soon as Monday against the Chargers. However, he will need to be activated to the 53-man roster before then, which the team now has three weeks to do. The Pro Bowler's return to the Broncos secondary will certainly be a boost to the team's defense when it does happen.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Nearing return
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Simmons (quadriceps) is expected to begin practicing this week, according to head coach Nathanial Hackett, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
Simmons has been on IR since Sept. 14 and has already missed the minimum four weeks of action. He was considered likely to only miss the minimal amount of time, so a return this week wouldn't be a surprise. However, he still needs to be designated to return from injured reserve, which will then open up a three-week window of practice time before he needs to be placed on the active roster.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: May miss minimal time
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Simmons (quadriceps) will likely miss just the minimum of four weeks while on IR, according to the head coach Nathanial Hackett, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons' four-week absence from the Broncos secondary is certainly a negative for the defense, however a minimal stay on IR should at least lessen the blow of the veteran's absence. Until Simmons can return, Caden Sterns will fill in at free safety, beginning in Week 2 when the Broncos host the Texans.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Lands on IR
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Denver placed Simmons (quadriceps) on injured reserve Wednesday, Ben Swanson of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons notched nine tackles and recovered a fumble in Monday's 17-16 loss in Seattle, but he injured his quad late in the contest and will now be forced to miss at least four games as a result of landing on IR. Until Simmons is ready to return, Caden Sterns is expected to step in as a new starter in the secondary for Denver alongside Kareem Jackson.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Headed for injured reserve
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Simmons (quadriceps) is expected to be placed on injured reserve this week, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said earlier Wednesday that Simmons was set to miss time after injuring his quad in the season-opening loss to the Seahawks on Monday, so the veteran's safety's impending move to IR doesn't come as a surprise. He'll be forced to miss at least four games while he's on IR, meaning the earliest he could return would be Oct. 17 against the Chargers. Simmons has been a full-time starter since 2018, so his prolonged absence will be a huge blow to Denver's secondary. Caden Sterns is the top candidate to replace Simmons at safety.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Set to miss some time
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Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday that Simmons (quadriceps) is going to miss some time, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Simmons finished the season opener with nine tackles across 49 defensive snaps. The veteran defensive back has been a full-time starter since 2017, so his absence will be a huge blow to Denver's secondary. In his absence, P.J. Locke, Caden Sterns and Delarrin Turner-Yell are all candidates for increased roles.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Impressive in 2021
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Simmons finished the 2021 season with 80 tackles (60 solo), five interceptions, 12 passes defended and 1.5 sacks.
Simmons' five interceptions led all Denver defenders in 2021, and his 80 total tackles were good for second on the team behind fellow safety Kareem Jackson. The veteran safety played in all 17 games and proved to be worth the four-year, $61 million deal he inked in March of 2021. Simmons is under contract through the 2024 season, so the 28-year-old should continue to be a key player in Denver's defense for the next few seasons.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Racks up eight tackles
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Simmons made eight tackles (five solo) in Sunday's 27-19 loss to the Steelers.
Both Simmons and linebacker Alexander Johnson paced the team in tackles Sunday. The veteran safety's eight tackles tied the season high set in Week 4 and brings his total to 25 tackles on the season thus far. If Simmons can continue to accumulate stops, fantasy managers should consider him a solid fantasy option going forward. In Week 6, the Broncos will play host to the Raiders.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Sure tackling continues
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Simmons finished with eight tackles (five solo) and a tackle for loss in Sunday's 22-16 loss to Kansas City.
Simmons finished second on the team in tackles behind fellow safety Kareem Jackson (10). He has 76 tackles with four games to play, putting Simmons on track to top 90 for a third consecutive season.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Notches eight stops
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Simmons recorded eight solo tackles and a fumble recovery in Sunday's 18-12 win over the Patriots.
Simmons hasn't left the field on defense this season, and the fifth-year safety is averaging seven tackles per game while adding two pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery. His work in pass coverage is less appealing, as he's allowed a 121.5 passer rating and three touchdowns when targeted this season. That's irrelevant for fantasy purposes, however, and Simmons continues to be a consistent contributor in that realm.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Makes huge tackle in win
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Simmons recorded eight tackles and two tackles for loss during Sunday' 24-19 win over Cleveland.
The Broncos have lost three games after relinquishing the lead in the final moments of the game this season, so fans were sweating Sunday as the Browns were marching down the field for what could have been a game-winning touchdown. Instead, Simmons cut into the backfield on 3rd-and-short, taking Nick Chubb down for a three-yard loss and forcing Cleveland into an unsuccessful fourth-down conversion. Despite a mediocre record, the Broncos head into the bye as the league's fourth-ranked defense. Simmons has arguably been the Broncos' best player, tied for the team lead with 53 tackles and pacing Denver with two interceptions and nine passes defensed.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Continues "red hot" camp
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Simmons intercepted Joe Flacco on Wednesday, continuing what has been a stellar camp, Benjamin Allbright of KOA News Radio reports.
Simmons was drafted, in part, for his smooth abilities playing over the top of the defense. Denver's defense in recent seasons hasn't kept him in centerfield, however, with injuries at defensive back and former head coach Vance Joseph's penchant for relying on Cover 1 and Cover 0 forcing him to play plenty of man coverage. Improved depth in the defensive backfield and a more zone-heavy defense under head coach Vic Fangio should put Simmons in a better position to succeed just in time for his contract season. If he's able to continue what he has started in training camp, Simmons could be a cornerstone of the Broncos' defense by season's end.
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Broncos' Justin Simmons: Elevates play in 2018
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Simmons logged 97 tackles, four passes defended and three interceptions over 16 games in 2018.
Simmons was Denver's ironman in 2018, playing all 1,077 defensive snaps during the Broncos' season after having missed three games due to injury during each of his first two NFL seasons. The 25-year-old came on strong in his third year, and set career highs in terms of tackles and interceptions. Simmons was forced to showcase his versatility due to both Darian Stewart and Chris Harris missing multiple games, and thrived in the slot as well as playing outside against tight ends, in addition to his usual free safety role. He's signed with the Broncos through 2019, and on track to return as a starter under new head coach Vic Fangio.
