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Free agent safety Justin Simmons could be a major upgrade for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
The San Francisco 49ers lost a handful of impactful players this offseason, one of which was impact safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Could this departure make the 49ers a top landing spot for one former All-Pro safety who is still available in free agency?
49ers Named a Top Landing Spot for Former All-Pro Safety Justin Simmons
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports delved into the some of the top landing spots for free agent safety Justin Simmons on Monday, and named the San Francisco 49ers as one of the top landing spots remaining for the former All-Pro entering the 2025 NFL season.
Benjamin wrote, “If Simmons can’t reunite with Vic Fangio in Philadelphia, perhaps he’d settle for one of Fangio’s most accomplished disciples in Robert Saleh, who’s back as San Francisco’s coordinator after a tumultuous stint as New York Jets head coach. The 49ers spent much of the offseason shedding salary, including by letting Talanoa Hufanga sign elsewhere, but with projected starting safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha both nursing injuries, a one-year partnership could make sense.”
Another team named as a potential landing spot by Benjamin was the defending Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles. Simmons is a veteran player who could be looking to join a team like the 49ers or Eagles in search of a championship.
Benjamin wasn’t alone in his thinking that Simmons could be interested in the Eagles, with NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger saying predicting Philadelphia may be the top landing spot for the veteran safety.
Baldinger said, “He wants to come to Philadelphia… He wants to be there… Just find him a house in South Jersey. He’s gonna be here.”
It will be interesting to see what the market looks like for Simmons entering training camp.
How Would Justin Simmons Figure Into 49ers Secondary in 2025?
If the 49ers were to add a veteran like Simmons ahead of the 2025 NFL season, it would be interesting to see how this would impact the current makeup of the safety depth chart.
Ji’Ayir Brown feels like a lock for one of the starting safety positions entering the year, but the other feels a bit more uncertain with Malik Mustapha still recovering from a torn ACL from last season.
There is certainly a possibility Mustapha won’t be ready for Week 1 of the 2025 season, which does feasibly make Simmons a potential fit for a 49ers team who wants to reassert their dominance atop the NFC West after finishing at the bottom of the division standings in 2024.
Simmons has been a very productive pro during his career, with his best season coming back in 2020 with 96 total tackles and five picks as a member of the Denver Broncos.
Yet, Simmons production did drop a bit last year with just 62 total tackles as a member of a suspect Atlanta Falcons secondary — which could be concerning for a player on the wrong side of 30 years old.
Ultimately, Simmons will find a home with a new team ahead of the 2025 NFL season. If the 49ers want an insurance policy for Mustapha, then a veteran safety on a one-year deal could make sense for San Francisco.
Derek Tate covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Heavy.com from 2022 to 2023. His bylines include Pro Football Network, The Athletic, Dr. Roto, Fantasy Focused and NewsNet. More about Derek Tate
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