Colts Monitoring Safety Market & Have Made Inquiries

James Boyd of The Athletic notes that the Colts still have not chosen a starting free safety between third-year players Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, or Ronnie Harrison. 

Colts DC Gus Bradley was asked if the team was ready to make a decision but mentioned that he needs to see more before doing so.

“I think as soon as someone consistently steps up,” Bradley responded. “I think once we feel good about, ‘All right, this is the direction we’re gonna go,’ then we’ll go. But I don’t think we’re any time close right now.”

Bradley was unwilling to be specific when asked what Cross needed to do to earn the starting job.

“I think with all of them, we’re asking them to be playmakers back there, and then consistent play,” Bradley said. “The other 10 guys gotta look back there and trust that they’re gonna be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. And when they are, they make plays.”

Boyd reports that the team has inquired about veteran safeties and continues to monitor those on the market to see what other options are out there.

One option mentioned by Boyd is former Broncos S Justin Simmons, who was let go by Denver due to cap reasons. Another option was S Quandre Diggs, who has since signed with the Titans.

Simmons, 30, is a former third-round pick of the Broncos out of Boston College back in 2016. He played out the final year of his four-year, $3.02 million rookie contract that included a $645,420 signing bonus and was franchise-tagged by the Broncos in 2020.

Simmons was franchised again before he signed a four-year, $61 million extension with the Broncos in 2021. He was set to make a base salary of $14.5 million in the final year of that deal in 2024. 

In 2023, Simmons appeared in 15 games for the Broncos and recorded 70 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three interceptions and eight pass deflections. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available 2024 NFL Free Agents list.