The Atlanta Falcons have successfully moved up the ranks of the NFC after two aggressive moves by the front office. After swinging a trade for Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon, the team doubled down by adding free-agent safety Justin Simmons to the roster on Thursday afternoon.
Both Judon and Simmons are former Pro Bowlers and represent major upgrades to Atlanta’s defense. While Judon fills a bigger roster need, the addition of Simmons gives the team arguably the best safety combination in the NFL.
The Falcons signed Jessie Bates III to a four-year contract last offseason and the playmaking safety came away with a career-high six interceptions during his first season in Atlanta. Bates, 27, has recorded 20 interceptions since entering the league in 2018. Simmons’ résumé is even more impressive with 30 career interceptions.
Combined, the Falcons’ new starting safety duo has racked up an unprecedented 50 career interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks will need to be extra careful with the ball to keep this number from going up in 2024.
Some might be wondering why Simmons was released if he’s still one of the better safeties in the NFL. To understand, just look at the Broncos’ cap situation. Denver traded away quarterback Russell Wilson to incur a record-setting $53 million dead cap hit in 2024, and $85 million total over the next two seasons.
Simmons, 30, earned his second Pro Bowl berth in 2023 but was released in anticipation of Wilson’s expensive exit. Atlanta has now added two Pro Bowl defenders in the last 24 hours. Not a bad day of work for head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
