Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons has “officially has accepted his franchise tender and is expected to sign it this weekend,” according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Simmons has not yet signed the one-year tag but “it’s just a formality now,” according to Schefter. The tender is worth $11.441 million.
After the franchise tag is signed, the Broncos will have until Wednesday, July 15 to reach a multi-year extension with Simmons. If a deal is not signed before the deadline, Simmons will play on his tag in 2020 and become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.
Simmons’ agent will likely want his client to receive a deal similar to what the Bears gave Eddie Jackson earlier this year. In January, Jackson signed a deal that averages $14.6 million per season.
Unlike Jackson, Simmons doesn’t have any All-Pro or Pro Bowl nods on his resume. Simmons’ market value is $14,439,489 per year, according to an estimate from Spotrac.com. That would be just below Jackson’s yearly average, making Simmons the second-highest paid safety in the NFL.
Right now, Tennessee’s Kevin Byard ($14.1 million) ranks second behind Jackson and Kansas City’s Tyrann Mathieu ($14 million) and Washington’s Landon Collins ($14 million) are tied for third among safeties.
