Denver Broncos free safety Justin Simmons (31) takes part in drills during the opening day of training camp, July 18, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
As the Denver Broncos opened training camp Thursday — the first of all NFL teams as they prepare for the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1 against Atlanta with a new head coach — safety Justin Simmons is in an interesting position: coming off the best season of his career and entering a contract year.
Simmons started all 16 games for Denver and set new career highs with 97 tackles and three interceptions in 2018. Drafted by the Broncos in the third round of the 2016 draft, the fourth-year pro has appeared in 42 games and started 32.
He figures to be a big part of new coach Vic Fangio’s defense, which Simmons was excited about after the first day of training camp.
“I thought it was smooth,” he told the media. “What I was really impressed by was how from OTAs — the last day of practice — to now, I felt like there was less mental errors and things like that. From a defensive standpoint, I’m excited and encouraged. There is still a lot to work on, still a lot to improve on but I’m encouraged. I’m really looking forward to keep building this thing up.”
If Simmons has a big year, he’s likely to sign a big contract. But despite the uncertainty that comes with being in a contract year, Simmons is placing his trust in God. He is ready to embrace whatever God has in store for him next.
“I’d like for that to mean I’m going to have a great year and it’s going to be a great contract, and that could just not be His plan for my life,” Simmons said recently on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “I just want to make sure [in seeking guidance and advice] that I’m just settled and comforted in the Lord’s plan for my life and whatever that may look like.”
Simmons grew up in a Christian home but described himself as a “lukewarm Christian” until meeting his now-wife, Taryn, in high school.
“My walk with the Lord has been an amazing journey,” he said. “One of the things I love about my sport is the platform that comes with it. The bigger the platform, the more people I’m able to touch with the truth of the Gospel and just my relationship with the Lord. That’s the biggest thing I’m thankful for.”
Now, Simmons wants to use his story as a way to inspire others to put their faith in God.
“Christ saved me from myself and I love to share that with different people because you never know where people are with their walk and their faith,” Simmons said.
#Broncos@jsimms1119 has cool new tattoo that is part of bigger art working on his left arm. New ink reads “Unashamed.” It ties directly to his faith which he said “saved my life.” #Denver7pic.twitter.com/iRO2LjyuAW
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrates his touchdown, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
On Sunday, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made sure his first postseason experience will end at Super Bowl LX. The third-year pro out of Ohio State caught a team-leading 10 passes (including an impressive one-handed snag) for 153 yards and a touchdown on the way to Seattle’s 31-27 victory against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Late in the second quarter with Seattle trailing 13-10, Smith-Njigba ran to an open spot in the left corner of the end zone and QB Sam Darnold found him for a TD to re-take the lead. The score sent the lively home crowd at Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy.
Seattle scored again early in the third quarter, but L.A. would twice pull to within four points. Ultimately, however, the Seahawks never relinquished their halftime lead on the way to the four-point win.
After the game, an emotional Smith-Njigba sought to deflect the praise away from his performance and toward the One who made it possible.
“I just want to give all the glory to God,” the 23-year-old told Fox Sports. “Without Him, I’m nothing. Just what He has had on this team and this city and myself, I just want to give Him all the glory. It’s an honor to be here in Seattle. It’s an honor to lace ’em up with these guys. For us to be going to the Super Bowl, it’s a dream come true.”
Giving all the glory to God.
Nothing better than what JSN says here on FOX Sports after winning the NFC Championship. pic.twitter.com/I6cNe9YJqN
After missing the playoffs the past two years, Seattle vaulted to the No. 1 seed in the NFC thanks to one of the league’s best defenses and the emergence of Smith-Njigba as perhaps the league’s best receiver. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards in the regular season, and he’s eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in 10 of Seattle’s 19 total games and the 150-yard mark in three of them, including Sunday.
In Sunday’s postgame press conference, Smith-Njigba again pointed to God.
“I want to give all glory to God,” he said. “Win or lose — draw — I wouldn’t be here without Him.”
Sunday was not the first time Smith-Njigba has spoken openly about his faith. He said he was “blessed by God” after winning the Rose Bowl in 2022 with Ohio State, and in a statement declaring his eligibility for the NFL Draft, he made sure to express his gratitude to God.
“Most of all I want to thank God for giving me strength,” he wrote. “Leaning on Him has always been my answer, and He has not failed me yet because I know I’ll come out stronger than ever.”
He calls himself a “Follower of Christ” on X, and alongside quarterback C.J. Stroud and other teammates, he helped foster a culture of faith within the Ohio State program that has carried forward, with the Buckeyes’ football team hosting campus-wide faith events the past two years.
JSN also frequently includes the acronym AGTGOD on his Instagram posts, which means “All glory to God.”
During the 2024-25 season, Smith-Njigba was asked about his faith by KING 5 News in Seattle.
“Growing up, being a follower of Christ is big,” he said. “Just having that foundation means everything. Leaning on Him, giving Him all my worries and just Him handling it, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
When asked before this season on “The Pivot” podcast about his new role as Seattle’s unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver, the Rockwall, Texas, native said he wasn’t placing extra pressure on himself.
“For me, it’s God’s timing,” he said. “It’s perfect timing. … Now I feel most ready, more than ever. I’m excited. I feel like I’m in the right place.”
God’s timing has now led Smith-Njigba to the pinnacle of his sport — Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California. With the NFC title clinched, he and his teammates now turn their attention to their opponent in the big game, the New England Patriots and MVP-candidate Drake Maye. New England bested the Broncos, 10-7, in Denver on Sunday.
Super Bowl LX will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015, which New England won, 28-24.
Tony Dungy in September 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING TONY DUNGY
Tony Dungy is a former NFL player and coach who currently is an NFL analyst with NBC Sports. During his playing career, he was a part of the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl-winning team. As a coach, he led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl championship in 2006, becoming the first Black head coach to ever win a Super Bowl.
Today on the podcast, Tony Dungy joins Matt Forte to discuss coaching in the playoffs, memories from winning a Super Bowl 19 years ago, and the importance of speaking up against religious persecution.
In Kansas City this morning and I walked to the church we attended when we lived here in 1990. I was listening to the @GFCFlorida service and the message was on “Waiting”. It was so powerful-I thought of so many blessings I’ve received in the 2nd half of my life. Pastor Daryl… pic.twitter.com/dqEqToTDXG
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
For Kyren Williams, the path to becoming a centerpiece of the Los Angeles Rams’ deep playoff run hasn’t been loud or flashy. Instead, it’s been steady and consistent — much like the running back himself.
That consistency has shown up in the numbers. After being named a starter in 2023 — a year in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl — he has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns each of the past three seasons. He finished the 2025 regular season with a career-high 1,533 yards from scrimmage, including 1,252 rushing yards that ranked sixth in the NFL.
He’s scored three total touchdowns across two playoff games, helping the Rams reach Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks. A win would bring the Rams back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2021-22.
Williams finished the 2024 season with a career-high 1,299 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and the Rams rewarded him with a three-year contract extension. But the numbers and new contract only tell part of the story. He was voted by his teammates to be a captain this season, which was particularly meaningful to him after not being selected as one last year.
“[Being named a captain] made more of an impact on my heart than probably the contract because to me that is the direct representation of who I am as a person every single day in the eyes of my teammates,” Williams told the Rams’ team website in September.
Kyren Williams joined HOF Eric Dickerson, HOF Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson as the only Rams players with 1,000+ rush yards in 3+ consecutive seasons 🔥@RamsNFL | #RamsHousepic.twitter.com/80rvBnkYwv
Led by his faith in God, he prioritizes hard work on and off the field, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates and coaches.
“I think he’s been consistent,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a team press conference in September. “I think that’s a good thing, and I think he’s earned that respect. When you’re leading — and we’ve got so many capable leaders on our team — the first thing is it resonates if it’s authentic. And then, do you model the way?
“I think seen is better than said. He’s got this authentic energy that’s always been consistent with who he is. It uplifts everybody. He’s got a mental and a physical toughness that he plays with. He epitomizes what we’re looking for in Rams.”
Williams’ new contract has also brought him a sense of peace and purpose off the field. The financial security has given him the ability to care for his family in tangible ways, such as taking care of his parents, helping his sisters with monthly bills, and setting up college savings plans for his nieces and nephews.
“I just want to be able to continue to play football at a very high clip, continue to keep showing the world who I am and what I can do, and take care of my family,” Williams said in September. “And give the most praise to the Lord that I can and follow His mission every single day.”
Dating back to his time in college at Notre Dame, being active in the community has been a priority for Williams. Now in Los Angeles, that commitment has only grown. Following the widespread wildfires in January 2025, Williams visited LAFD Air Operations to honor first responders and partnered with the Rams and Seahawks to distribute new Nike shoes to youth who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. He also visited youth from the Palisades at their local recreation center, helping lead their first football activity since the fires.
Throughout the 2025 season, Williams has spent time each week on his off day in the community — participating in literacy sessions at schools, military recognition events, holiday distributions, STEAM education initiatives and more. When he learned Big Brothers Big Sisters needed more male mentors of color, Williams stepped in personally, becoming a “Big Brother” himself. He also returned as a host for Rams Night for Wishes to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation and participated in a youth football clinic during team OTAs in Maui.
For his efforts, he was selected in both 2024 and 2025 as the Rams’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year — the league’s most prestigious honor that recognizes players for excellence and a commitment to making a positive impact on and off the field.
“I play football because that’s what the Lord has blessed me to do, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” he said after being told he was the team’s nominee. “But my message and my purpose is bigger than just football. It’s being able to impact and inspire and be around young kids and families. To be able to motivate and show them that it’s all possible.”
That comes with a monetary reward, and Williams donated his entire 2024 Man of the Year nomination money to the LAFD Foundation.
“Being able to make a positive impact on the youth across Los Angeles and seeing the smiles on people’s faces means everything to me,” Williams told the team website. “This award is special because my commitment to the community is never about recognition but about being the inspiration to show young people they can dream big and achieve their goals.
“The opportunities I’ve been given through being a professional football player allow me to perform on the field but have also given me the platform to pursue what I am most passionate about — giving back to the community. It’s an honor to be the Rams’ club winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award alongside players around the league dedicated to their communities.”
His faith foundation was laid long ago, and it was a big reason he wanted to play at Notre Dame, telling The Athletic in 2018, “I’m real close with God and I believe in God heavily.”
He also professes it publicly on social media, with his Instagram bio referencing Proverbs 3:5, saying, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
In 2018, his mother, Taryn Williams, spoke about the balance her son carried between hard work and trust in God’s plan.
“We’re a faith-based family and believe that God has a plan prepared for him,” she told Irish Sports Daily. “He’s just putting in the work to execute it.”
The Rams and Seahawks kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET in Seattle on Fox, with the winner clinching a spot in Super Bowl LX.
Matt Hasselbeck in Super Bowl XL in February 2006. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Our guest today is Matt Hasselbeck, the former Pro Bowl quarterback who played 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
Matt joins Scott Linebrink on the podcast to talk about the current landscape of the NFL playoffs, what it means to follow Jesus and serve others, and his thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks being one game away from the Super Bowl.
