As the New Orleans Saints look to end their three year playoff drought, they'll be relying on Tyrann Matthieu to be a leader in the secondary. But beyond just Matthieu, the Saints are eyeing a fellow safety that will help take their defense to the next level.
New Orleans is bringing in fellow Denver Broncos standout Justin Simmons for a visit, via Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. While there's no word yet on a potential contract, Simmons has plenty of ties to the Saints. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods was Simmons' defensive backs coach and eventual DC on the Broncos. Marcus Robertson, who is currently New Orleans' DB coach, served in the same role in role.
While the Saints will take strong endorsements from their staff, Simmons' work on the field has done plenty of talking by itself. Over his eight years in Denver, the safety racked up 604 tackles, 64 passes defended, 30 interceptions and five forced fumbles. He was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2023.
That 2023 campaign saw Simmons put up 70 tackles, eight passes defended and three interceptions. If he were to sign in New Orleans, he would be bolstering a defense that ranked 13th in the league with 327.2 yards per game. Their pass defense ranked 10th, allowing 207.3 YPG.
Alongside Matthieu, the Saints have a pair of standout corners in Paulson Adebo and Marshon Lattimore. Alontae Taylor shined too with 14 pass breakups. Adding Justin Simmons to the mix would give New Orleans one of the scariest secondaries in the league.
But before any deal is completed, the Saints must convince Simmons to join their playoff push. Between their coaching connections and opportunity to play next to Matthieu, New Orleans is hoping their pitch is enough. If everything goes well in their meeting, perhaps Simmons' signature is on the dotted line sooner rather than later.
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