Justin Simmons says he’s retired. But if the Broncos call, don’t expect him to let it go to voicemail.
The four-time All-Pro safety appeared on the “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams on Thursday, just over a week after formally announcing his retirement from the NFL. When Adams posed a hypothetical — a banged-up Denver secondary, a January playoff push, a phone call from Sean Payton and general manager George Paton — Simmons didn’t hesitate.
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“Oh, if it was Denver, there’d be no doubt,” Simmons said. “I’m living in Denver right now. I’m planning on staying in shape. So I guess the door is creaked open just a tad. Only if it’s Denver. Only if it’s Denver.”
For any other team? Simmons said it would be “hard to be able to go out there and do that.”
Newly retired Justin Simmons says he would make an NFL comeback for only ONE team:
"If it was Denver, there'd be no doubt… The door is creaked open just a tad, only if it's Denver" 👀@jsimms1119 | @Broncos | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/Qzz2BcJeNR
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 7, 2026
Simmons didn’t leave Denver by choice. The Broncos released him as a salary cap casualty in March 2024, a move that saved the team more than $14 million. He landed with the Atlanta Falcons, played 16 games and then sat out the entire 2025 season — not because teams didn’t call, but because his wife Taryn and their children had stayed in Denver while he was in Atlanta.
“It was hard seeing Taryn struggle with them out here. Not on her own, but without Dad,” Simmons said at his retirement press conference last week. “I missed my wife, I missed my kids. I missed what was so familiar for eight years.”
By the time he joined Adams on Thursday, he’d fully embraced the other side. He’d just dropped his kids off at school before the interview and said he’s settled into “dad mode.”
“When I commit to things, I’m pretty committed,” Simmons said. “Saying I’m retired is like, I’m retired. I don’t want to go back on my word.”
Adams pushed back playfully, urging him not to change his phone number in January. By the end of the segment, the two settled on a label: a “cracked door retirement.”
Simmons, 32, retired April 29 — exactly 10 years to the day the Broncos selected him in the third round out of Boston College. He signed a one-day contract to retire as a Bronco, a fitting bookend for a guy who endured the franchise’s longest stretch of sustained mediocrity and played hard the whole time.
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During his eight seasons in Denver, Simmons played for six head coaches and watched 13 different quarterbacks start under center. He never appeared in a postseason game as a Bronco. He finished his nine-year career with 32 interceptions, 666 tackles and 71 pass deflections across 134 games. His 30 picks as a Bronco rank seventh in franchise history.
That drought is part of what made his comments about the current roster so pointed. Simmons called the Jaylen Waddle acquisition a major pickup and declared Bo Nix the best quarterback from his draft class — not on arm talent alone, but on wins.
“This team was absolutely unbelievable last year,” Simmons said. “They find ways to win. They have a great young quarterback. They have an amazing defense. They just added more talent to the offense.”
He pointed to Denver’s Super Bowl odds sitting outside the top 10 as continued disrespect for a team that reached the AFC championship game.
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“I think people don’t believe in their quarterback,” Simmons said. “All he did was get his team to their first playoff appearance in eight years — I would know — and then he immediately followed that up with an AFC Championship (Game) berth.”
Beyond a potential comeback, Simmons outlined a post-playing life rooted entirely in Denver. He’s working with local media on projects, recently launched “The Weekly Cut” — a barbershop-set podcast with his longtime barber, Louis Romero — and said he ultimately wants to coach high school football in the mold of Cherry Creek legend Dave Logan.
“I want to be a staple in a community for many years,” Simmons said. “That kids can look to for guidance and leadership.”
His foundation will host its annual golf tournament July 6 in Castle Rock, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club and Denver Public Schools Foundation.
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For now, Justin Simmons is retired. But the door? It’s creaked open. Just a tad.