PHILADELPHIA — Zero snaps. That is exactly how much football two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons played in 2025. Now, the 32-year-old veteran is officially hunting for a 2026 comeback, and the Philadelphia Eagles sit staring at a glaring hole in the back of their defense. General Manager Howie Roseman just traded Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons and watched Reed Blankenship walk to Houston. Re-signing Marcus Epps provides a familiar band-aid, but it doesn’t solve the long-term problem. If the Eagles want to lock down the NFC East, bringing Justin Simmons to the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t just an option; it is an absolute necessity.
The Mukuba Blueprint and a Depleted Depth Chart
Philadelphia struck gold last April when they drafted Andrew Mukuba in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Texas product immediately stepped up, flying around the field and securing his spot as a defensive anchor. But you need two safeties to run Vic Fangio’s scheme effectively. With Brown shipped out for a 2026 draft pick swap and Blankenship cashing in elsewhere, the depth chart looks dangerously thin. Epps brings stability, and the team will give Michael Carter II a look, but rolling into training camp without a seasoned ball-hawk puts immense pressure on a young core.
I stood on the sidelines during the bitter cold of last season’s playoff push. You could physically feel the tension in the stadium every time opposing quarterbacks tested the deep middle of the field. The chilly wind howling through Lincoln Financial Field didn’t deter the die-hard fans, who turned the stands into a sea of midnight green, but you could hear the collective gasp whenever a blown coverage turned into a massive gain. A seasoned veteran prevents those heart-stopping breakdowns.
“I’m still a free agent, looking to play for a contender, and we’ll see where that ends up.”
— Justin Simmons, Free Agent Safety (via The Weekly Cut)
The Human Element: One Last Ride
Simmons spent eight incredible seasons in Denver, defining himself as a locker room leader and a nightmare for opposing offenses. After a bumpy 2024 campaign in Atlanta, he found himself off an NFL roster entirely in 2025. He recently opened up on the barbershop podcast The Weekly Cut, detailing the humbling experience of watching the NFL from his couch as a fan. This isn’t just about a paycheck for Simmons. He wants a ring. Putting a hungry, well-rested All-Pro into a locker room loaded with championship aspirations brings a desperate, aggressive energy that a team needs in January.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
Signing Simmons immediately alters the NFC hierarchy. His elite zone-coverage instincts produced multiple All-Pro honors under Fangio in Denver. Inserting him next to the explosive Mukuba allows the Eagles to mask their coverages, rotate pre-snap, and confuse elite quarterbacks. Philadelphia doesn’t need Simmons to play 1,000 snaps. They need him to play 400 highly effective, situational snaps. Roseman holds the cap space to execute a low-risk, heavily incentivized one-year deal right now. If Philadelphia hesitates, the safety-needy San Francisco 49ers will gladly snatch him up and use him against the Eagles in the playoffs.
