Updated: Justin Simmons sent to IR; Broncos sign S Anthony Harris to practice squad

UPDATE 1:43 PM: The quad injury is worse than originally hinted at. The Broncos have moved Justin Simmons to injured reserve, so he will miss at least four games. In a corresponding move, the team has promoted cornerback Essang Bassey to the active roster and signed former Minnesota Vikings veteran safety Anthony Harris to the practice squad.

Harris, 30, is an eight year pro having spent most of his career with the Vikings before playing with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. In 2020, he led the team with 104 total tackles and in 2019 he led the team with 6 interceptions. He could provide a good stop-gap while Simmons gets healthy.

Original Story: In a surprising bit of news today, head coach Nathaniel Hackett revealed that safety Justin Simmons injured his quad during the second half of the Denver Broncos game against the Seattle Seahawks. While Simmons finished that game, Hackett said they believe ‘he’ll miss some time’.

That is and ambiguous statement, so it could mean he’ll miss a few days or a few games. We’ll probably have to assume they’ll hold Justin Simmons out at least for this next game against the Houston Texans. In his place, we’ll see Caden Sterns step in. Sterns has been a solid #3 guy on the back end, but this will be a big step for him.

If Simmons ends up not playing, it will be the first time since 2017 that he has missed a game. The loss of one of, if not the, best player on defense will hurt. However, we’ll get a good look at Sterns and, possibly, even P.J. Locke on Sunday.