Justin Simmons is an American football free safety who plays in the NFL for the Denver Broncos. He was drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Broncos in the third round, as the 98th overall pick. 

Simmons was born in Manassas, Virginia on 19th November 1993, and did his high schooling at Martin County High School in Stuart, Florida. Thereafter, he moved to Boston College where he played for the Eagles between 2012 and 2016. 

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During his collegiate career, he regularly shuffled between playing cornerback and safety, and after a stellar couple of seasons for the Eagles, he was awarded the Jay McGillis Memorial Scholarship Award. The accolades started to flow in 2015, his senior year, as he was named Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and ACC head coaches. He was further named Second Team All-ACC by the Associated Press. He was named to Phil Steele’s All-American Fourth Team and ProFootballFocus.com All-America honourable mention. 

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This set him up for the 2016 NFL Draft, where he was signed by the Denver Broncos to a four-year, $3.06 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $645,420. 

Simmons made his NFL debut in the 2016 season opener against the Carolina Panthers, recording 1 tackle in a narrow 21-20 win. He earned his first start a couple of months later, on 18th December 2016, recording 2 tackles in a 16-3 turnaround by the New England Patriots. He finished his rookie season with 30 tackles (25 solo), four pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack in 13 games, of which 3 were starts. 

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Simmons’ second season, in 2017, saw him start all 13 games he featured in, and he finished with 68 tackles (49 solo), five passes defended, two interceptions, one sack, and one touchdown. Over the next couple of seasons, he established himself as a regular starter for the Broncos and was voted to the 2021 Pro Bowl as a reward for his consistent performances. 

In March 2021, Simmons signed a 4-year $61 million extension with the Broncos.