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Justin Simmons is officially done playing football, but the former Denver Broncos safety made it clear he is not done with Broncos Country.

The Broncos announced on Wednesday, April 29, that Simmons is retiring from the NFL. The timing carried extra meaning: Denver’s announcement came exactly 10 years after the franchise selected Simmons in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Boston College.

Simmons, 32, a four-time second-team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, spent eight of his nine NFL seasons with the Broncos before playing his final season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. He did not play during the 2025 season before making his retirement official.

For Broncos fans, the announcement closes the book on one of the franchise’s most respected players of the post-Super Bowl 50 era, a defensive captain who became both a steadying force on the field and one of the organization’s most visible community leaders off it.

Justin Simmons Says Denver Is Still Home

Simmons’ retirement announcement was not framed as a clean break from Denver. It was closer to a return.

In an interview with DenverBroncos.com’s Aric DiLalla, Simmons said he is looking forward to attending the Broncos’ home opener as a fan instead of a player. Simmons said he wants to sit close to the field, tailgate and experience game day the way Broncos fans do.

“I’ll always be a Denver Bronco,” Simmons told the team site.

That message matters because Simmons’ Broncos tenure did not end on his terms. Denver released him in March 2024 after eight seasons, a move that came as the franchise reshaped its roster and cap sheet. Simmons later signed with Atlanta, but his retirement announcement made clear that his football identity remains tied to the team that drafted and developed him.

Simmons told the Broncos’ official site that being a Bronco was “my heart, my home and my story.”

Simmons Leaves as One of Broncos’ Best Defensive Backs

Simmons became a full-time starter in his second season and remained one of the NFL’s most productive safeties for years. According to the Broncos, he recorded multiple interceptions in each of his nine NFL seasons and finished with 30 interceptions as a Bronco, seventh-most in franchise history.

His best stretch came from 2018 through 2023, when Denver said Simmons posted at least three interceptions in six straight seasons, the only NFL player to do so during that span. He also played more than 3,200 consecutive defensive snaps from the start of the 2018 season into the early part of the 2021 season, a reflection of both his availability and his importance to the defense.

Justin Simmons stats: His résumé includes four second-team All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl nods after the 2020 and 2023 seasons and a share of the NFL interceptions lead in 2022. Pro Football Reference credits him with 32 career interceptions, 71 passes defended, 666 total tackles and 124 starts across 134 regular-season games.

Those numbers only tell part of the story. Simmons became a trusted voice through years when the Broncos were trying to climb back to contention. He was not part of a playoff run in Denver, something he acknowledged in the team’s retirement feature, but his individual consistency gave the franchise a defensive foundation during an unstable period.

Broncos Fans Remember More Than the Interceptions

Simmons’ place in Denver also extends beyond the stat sheet.

The Broncos noted that Simmons was a three-time team captain and a three-time nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. He was also the second player in franchise history to earn that nomination three times and the first Broncos player to receive the honor in back-to-back years.

That community impact helped explain why his departure from Denver in 2024 hit differently than a normal roster move. Simmons was not simply a productive veteran safety. He was one of the public faces of the organization, particularly through his work with the Broncos Boys & Girls Club, the Justin Simmons Foundation and other community efforts.

There were signature football moments, too. Simmons blocked an extra point against the New Orleans Saints as a rookie, setting up Will Parks’ return for a game-winning defensive two-point conversion. He later delivered game-sealing interceptions against the Raiders, Dolphins and Commanders, according to the Broncos’ official account of his career.

Now Simmons’ next Broncos memory will come from the stands.

That is what makes the retirement announcement resonate. Simmons’ playing career ended after his brief Falcons chapter, but his football story still points back to Denver. For a franchise that has spent much of the last decade searching for continuity, Simmons represented exactly that.

He arrived as a third-round pick joining the defending Super Bowl champions. He leaves as one of the most decorated defensive backs in Broncos history. And based on his own words, he is leaving the field without leaving Broncos Country.