Justin Simmons got released. Then he offered thanks.
Who does that?
“Him. When you think about what you want in a leader, Justin’s face should be right next to it,” explained Broncos safety P.J. Locke. “My dad always told me that when you get to the top, bring the ladder up. That’s exactly what Justin does.”
In March, the Broncos went full HGTV, breaking ground on an unannounced rebuild. They made no attempt to re-sign free agents Lloyd Cushenberry and Josey Jewell. And they cut quarterback Russell Wilson — and Simmons.
There is a reason the NFL does not broadcast games on the Hallmark Channel. Sports stories end happily never after. Simmons was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro safety, media Good Guy winner, and the most impactful player in the community.
He would have reason to believe his exit would be more seamless, like standing at a podium in a few years announcing his retirement. Instead, he received a heads-up call the night before he was cut that the Broncos were planning to part ways. Coach Sean Payton viewed an $18.25 million salary for a safety as a luxury.
The market correction at the position shows Payton was right. But it still felt wrong because it was Simmons. By any measure, he was the Broncos’ best player over the past eight years. He was the franchise’s modern-day Floyd Little. Honored for his individual play, but left feeling hollow on a team that never made the playoffs.
So, he gets cut, and what did he do next?
Simmons showed up at the Broncos facility the morning of the transaction to say goodbye.
From the blue-collar workers to the white-collar executives, the star safety knocked on doors and delivered one message.
“There is so much that goes into playing well on Sunday. Even outside of practice. The nutritionist, the athletic trainer, those in the training room, the people upstairs in the front office who help with logistics, and so many others,” said Simmons, speaking about it for the first time on Monday night. “I might not have said thank you every day I walked in, but I wanted to make sure that my last time roaming those halls as a player I said thank you and took time to let them all know that their work and words behind closed doors meant so much to me and played a big part in my success.”
Employees who have been with the Broncos for the past two decades could not recall a player more gracious in his departure, more intentional in his purpose. It is one thing to get laid off and post a social media message about being grateful with more cliches than a Nickelback song. It is something entirely different to show up at your former employer’s door and — fingers crossed the key card works — become an in-person email.
Simmons told me he learned from the exits of Von Miller, Demaryius Thomas and Chris Harris that every player is eventually vulnerable because of their contract, age or a coaching change. Still, couldn’t he have just sent a group text like the rest of us?
“It was just important to me,” said Simmons, whose father and grandmother died within a few days of each other last summer. “It was how I was raised.”
I can hear eyes roll. They shouldn’t. What Simmons did was not a designed photo op. Employees revealed his actions. Simmons had no desire to share it, answering only when I asked about it.
“When I got here and learned what the Denver Broncos looked like and stood for under Pat Bowlen, I wanted to emulate what I saw from some of the vets that were under his tutelage when he was the owner,” Simmons said. “Those were some of the things that ran through my head and I made the conscious decision to do it.”
The purpose of this column is not to rehash a decision from three months ago. Selfishly, I wanted Simmons to stay because of his insightful and thoughtful answers during interviews. But I was also happy for his fresh start because he deserves to win. It still stings that it did not happen in Denver, where he played in 118 games, leaving him in the top 10 among active players without a postseason appearance.
“I have no regrets about my career in Denver. My biggest reflection, though, is that I didn’t see things through and I didn’t personally — and I know it’s a team game — get us back to the postseason,” Simmons, 30, said. “But I know that is something that will happen. There’s great players, great coaches, great leadership. That will happen sooner rather than later and when it does it will be a special feeling around here.”
Simmons remains unsigned as a free agent. There has been plenty of interest. He could make sense in places like Atlanta, Miami or Philadelphia.
“Honestly, I am looking for a team that is going to give me the best opportunity to play at the level I have been playing at, and on top of that, I am looking for a team that is a contender and is ready to win,” Simmons said. “I feel like I bring a lot to the table leadership-wise but also in my play. I think I can help whichever team it is reach their dreams and goals of winning a Super Bowl.”
Simmons is what is right about sports, if not life. He is a nice guy who shouldn’t finish last anymore.
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