The Denver Broncos made it official on Friday, placing the team's franchise tag on Justin Simmons. Despite placing the franchise tag on Simmons, John Elway made it clear that the Broncos are still ‘focused' on getting a long-term deal done with Simmons.

“We remain focused on reaching a long-term contract agreement with Justin, and he’s a big priority for us,” Elway said in a statement to the team’s official website on Friday. “This is a placeholder in that process and our goal is the same — to make sure that Justin is a Bronco for a long time.”

At the least, placing the franchise tag on Simmons assures that another team can offer him a contract this offseason. Still, with that being said, Denver is attempting to make sure that isn't a possibility for years to come.

The franchise tag for safeties this offseason is valued around $11.6 million. As a matter of fact, the tag is valued at more than five times what he made in 2019. In light of that, Simmons is likely content seeing a raise in salary for next season.

On the other hand, all players want a long-term deal to provide some insurance for their careers. Therefore, both sides will probably continue talks on an extension as the offseason continues to advance.

Three seasons ago, the Broncos inserted Simmons into the starting lineup in his second season in the NFL. Since 2017, the Boston College product has accumulated 259 tackles, 24 deflections, and nine interceptions.

Above all, Simmons has been able to be on the field for every defensive snap over the last two seasons. Given that, Elway knows that the Broncos can't afford to lose his reliability in the secondary.