Safety Justin Simmons Not Likely to Return to the Atlanta Falcons, Hints a Reunion with Vic Fangio Could Be on the Horizon as a Member of the Philadelphia Eagles

Despite his desire to stay in Atlanta, free agent safety Justin Simmons is going to have to find a new home.

On an appearance on Up & Adams with NFL Network alum Kay Adams, Simmons discussed his future and that he will likely be moving on from the Atlanta Falcons:

“It was a one-year thing. “They like kind of their younger guys, too. Sometimes things just don’t work out and you go in different directions. I don’t know if the door’s necessarily closed. But we’ll see.

“We’ll see. I want to go to the best situation, and I want to go to a team that’s going to win. So, we’ll see what that looks like.”

Could a reunion with former head coach Vic Fangio be in the making? 

The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of a veteran safety after moving on from C.J. Gardner-Johnson following Super Bowl LIX. The 31-year-old Simmons had the most successful run of his NFL career with Fangio as his head coach in Denver from 2019-2021. 

During that time, Simmons was the NFL’s highest graded safety (2019), he earned a second-team All-Pro nod, and was trice ranked in the Top 100 of NFL players according to his peers. 

Despite being selected to his second NFL Pro Bowl, Simmons was waived by Denver in March 2024 due to salary cap mismanagement by the Broncos. He signed a one-year “prove it” deal with Atlanta in August 2024 and was immediately named a starter alongside Jesse Bates. He started all 16 games for Atlanta on 2024-25 finishing with 62 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and two interceptions. 

For his part, Simmons certainly seems to want a reunion with Fangio and defensive backs Christian Parker. Here’s what he told Adams on a potential reunion in the City of Brotherly Love:

“It really does. As honest as I can be, a lot of it too, going back to your question earlier about Atlanta, there was a lot of new, right? There was a new system, there’s a new way to do it. Going to Philly with Vic, you know exactly what you’re getting out of me and I know exactly what I’m getting out of them. Because I’ve been in the system. I still have a ways to go to mastering it but there’s some things and nuances that I know that Vic likes, that I know that Christian Parker likes. I think I could really help in that area. 

Obviously, them moving on from C.J. (Gardner-Johnson) and what he’s poured into that city there is big shoes to fill. But I love what they have going on with (Reed) Blankenship and the rest of the supporting cast there. So, I don’t know. It’s interesting. I’m excited to see what happens.”

 

It certainly seems like a fit, don’t it?!