The Denver Broncos are not expected to reach an agreement with safety Justin Simmons on a multi-year contract extension before Wednesday’s deadline, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Denver placed a one-year, $11.441 million franchise tag on Simmons earlier this offseason. If the two sides do not agree to an extension before 2 p.m. on July 15, Simmons will have to play the 2020 season on his tag. Teams cannot give tagged players contract extensions during the season.
If no deal is reached before Wednesday, Simmons will be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2021. The Broncos would presumably want to re-sign him then.
NFL teams are expected to have limited capacities at their stadiums this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That will lead to reduced revenue, which will result in a lower salary cap for the 2021 season. Uncertainty about the league’s salary cap is likely part of the reason why Denver is unlikely to give Simmons an extension this offseason.
