The Atlanta Falcons have a difficult offseason ahead of them. With free agency officially kicking off in two weeks, the Falcons front office has a ton of financial maneuvering to do.
The Kirk Cousins saga remains the most important question for the Falcons. At the same time, they have multiple starters hitting free agency and no cap space to sign them. In addition to Mike Hughes, Matthew Judon, and Dee Alford, star safety Justin Simmons is also a free agent this offseason. At least one of these veterans will be gone to open up cap space for Atlanta.
In fact, agent Todd France teased Simmons' exit in his latest remarks to Falcons insider Zach Klein. He said that they will be testing the waters for the two-time Pro Bowler and "see where things go with him."
In Indy at the NFL Combine:
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) February 25, 2025
Spoke with Todd France (@toddfrance_ on IG) Atlanta based agent and partner at @AthletesFirst
On Falcons DT Grady Jarrett:
"Grady is an Atlanta Falcon right now, so we'll see where that goes. I'm sure I'll be with Atlanta while I'm here and we'll… pic.twitter.com/E8ubqsjdEe
Falcons News: Justin Simmons Likely Gone in Free Agency
Simmons signed with the Falcons right before the start of the 2024 season on a one-year, $7.5 million deal. He won the starting strong safety spot alongside Jessie Bates to begin the season. He started 16 games for the Falcons but showed signs of decline. He received a 59.9 defensive grade on PFF, good for the 68th-best safety in the NFL among 98 eligible players.
The former Broncos man is still a competent veteran. He was far from the biggest problem on the Falcons defense. In a different cap environment, the Falcons should have been thrilled to have him back.
However, the Falcons are $11.1 million over the cap as things stand now. They have to make tough offseason decisions and letting Simmons walk will likely be one of them. There are bigger priorities among the Falcons' pending free agents and it's hard to imagine Atlanta giving Simmons the best contract offer.