The are releasing safety in the fallout from the separation, a person familiar with the move told The A sociated Pre s on Paul Watson Jersey Thursday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didnt immediately announce the move.Simmons immediately becomes one of the best veterans available when free agency begins next week.A second-team All-Pro in four of his last five seasons, Simmons intercepted multiple pa ses in each of his eight years in Denver and his 30 picks lead all players since his rookie season in 2016, when the Broncos selected him in the third round out of Boston College.ADVERTISEMENT Simmons was set to earn $14.5 million this upcoming season, the final year of the four-year, $61 million deal he signed in 2021.All high-earning veterans on the Broncos roster are vulnerable to release because the team is facing a record $85 million in dead cap charges when they release Wilson next week.The team hasnt decided whether to absorb $35.4 million or $53 million of Wilsons dead-cap hit in 2024, but either way theyve got a long way to go to get under the salary cap, and Simmons release is just the beginning of a painful roster purge this offseason.Others who could follow Simmons out of Denver include left tackle , one of the teams three first-round picks still on the roster (WR and CB are the others).Simmons teamed with Surtain the last three years to form one of the NFLs most spectacular secondaries even as the Broncos extended their playoff drought to eight seasons and their string of losing campaigns to seven.Simmons was also the Broncos most active player in charitable appearances and was a fan favorite on a team thats had little to cheer for since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season.Simmons is just one of several veteran safeties to hit the free agent market this offseason, joining , , , , and .The A sociated Pre s contributed to this story. Terence Davis Jr. Jersey