Justin Simmons: Everything you need to know

Simmons announced Wednesday that he is retiring from football. Exactly 10 years after he was drafted by Denver in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Simmons announced his retirement. Over eight NFL seasons with the Broncos and one with the Falcons, he recorded 666 tackles and 32 interceptions in 134 games. He was named second-team All Pro four times in five seasons from 2019 to 2023, and he received Pro Bowl honors twice. He currently stands tied for seventh on Denver's list of all-time interception leaders.

Simmons recorded 62 total tackles (36 solo) and seven passes defensed, including two interceptions, over 16 games in 2024. Simmons joined the Falcons in mid-August after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Broncos, playing in at least 16 contests for the first time since 2021. The safety has now registered multiple interceptions in each of his nine NFL campaigns and he'll be an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason.

Simmons recorded six total tackles (all solo) in Sunday night's 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders. Simmons tied Dee Alford as the Falcons' third-leading tackler in the Week 17 loss, behind both Kaden Elliss (nine tackles) and Jessie Bates (12 tackles). The 31-year-old has now accumulated 56 tackles through 15 appearances this season and is on pace to finish with his lowest tackle total since his rookie season in 2016 (30 stops). Despite Simmons' underwhelming tackle output, he's contributed seven passes defended, including two interceptions, making key plays for the Falcons' defense. Expect the Boston College product to remain Atlanta's top strong safety in Week 18, when the Falcons face the Panthers.