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Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons is set to become a free agent next month, but it doesn't look like he will be going anywhere.
On Tuesday, Broncos general manager John Elway said that if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal, the club will use its franchise tag on Simmons, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Simmons is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he played every game and registered 93 tackles, four interceptions and 15 passes defended.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Boston College, was originally selected by Denver in the third round (98th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He appeared in 13 contests during his rookie year in primarily a reserve role, finishing with 30 tackles, a sack, a couple of picks and four passes defended.
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The following season, Simmons became a full-time starter, participating in 13 games and recording 69 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, five passes defended and a defensive touchdown.
He then showed marked improvement in 2018, participating in every game and posting 97 tackles, three picks and four passes defended.
The Broncos went just 7-9 this past season, but thanks to young quarterback Drew Lock, Denver has some hope moving forward, as Lock stepped in late in the year and proceeded to lead the Broncos to a 4-1 record in his five starts to close out the season.
The Broncos have missed the playoffs each of the last four years, which comes on the heels of a stretch in which Denver made five straight postseason appearances, culminating in a Super Bowl victory during the 2015-16 campaign.
