Like Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, Broncos safety Justin Simmons had been franchise tagged for a second time. Like the Cowboys with Prescott and the Giants with Williams, the Broncos made Simmons an offer than resulted in the player trading an eight-figure guaranteed salary in 2021 and a likely shot at the open market in 2022 for an even more lucrative long-term deal.
In Simmons’ case, he gave up the chance to make $13.73 million this year and becoming a free agent next year for a four-year deal that pays out $32.1 million fully guaranteed at signing, with a practical guarantee of $35 million.
Here are terms of the deal:
1. Signing bonus: $15 million.
2. 2021 base salary: $2 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2022 base salary: $15.1 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2023 base salary: $14.4 million, $2.9 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2022 league year.
4. 2024 base salary: $14.5 million.
It’s a two-year, $32 million deal with another $2.9 million that spills into 2023. If Simmons slips over the next two seasons, however, the $2.9 million they’ll owe won’t outweigh the $11.5 million difference.