In Falcons, safety Justin Simmons found team with ‘same hunger’ as him

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — A full-circle moment between safeties Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates III played a hand in the former joining the Atlanta Falcons.

Back in February, Simmons sought out Bates for a moment alone to chat while in Orlando, Florida, for the Pro Bowl. Bates and the Falcons had recently finished the 2023 season with their third consecutive 7-9 record. They had also fired Arthur Smith and hired Raheem Morris as their head coach.

“I know it was a tough season in Atlanta from a team perspective, so (I was) just talking to him and finding things out,” Simmons said. “He’s like, ‘I just hope we get this thing right moving forward.'”

Well, fast forward to this past Monday, Simmons and five Falcons members – Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, along with Bates, cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett – had dinner at Chops in Atlanta. The Falcons were trying to convince Simmons, a highly touted free agent, to sign with them. That provided the perfect opportunity for Simmons to follow up with Bates on the topic they first broached nearly six months ago.

“It’s crazy because then I asked him that later on at that dinner when it was just me and him, like, ‘Yo, I don’t know if you remember what we talked about, but what do you think?'” Simmons said. “He’s like, ‘Nah, this is right.’ And he left it at that.”

Simmons’ signing was first reported last Thursday and became official last Sunday. His deal is reportedly for one year and worth $8 million with $7.5 million fully guaranteed.

A big reason Simmons ultimately chose the Falcons is because of his two conversations with Bates. In between those two conversations, a lot happened. Atlanta’s coaching staff was completed, including the hires of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. The Falcons signed four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins and made other moves to bolster the roster. Morris quickly won the support of coaches and players, cementing a new culture in Atlanta.

How the Falcons handled the aftermath of their third consecutive 7-9 season resonated with Simmons. It’s surely what he would have wanted had he remained with the Denver Broncos, who had only one winning season during his tenure. The Broncos released Simmons this past March.

“I’m not going to talk about it much because that stuff’s in the past and I’m moving forward,” Simmons said. “But I was…