Being in the right place at the right time landed Tyler Simmons an unlikely contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Simmons, a 6-foot, 205-pound wide receiver, finalized a one-year deal Monday with the Steelers, less than a week after general manager Kevin Colbert was impressed by his workout at Georgia’s pro day.
A year after going undrafted and spending a short time on the Houston Texans practice squad, Simmons returned to his alma mater to work out at Georgia’s pro day March 17.
“It’s common that players come back that aren’t on rosters to redo pro days to try to increase their exposure,” said Brian McLaughlin, who is Simmons’ agent. “It’s very rare that teams sign an eligible player on the spot like that.”
Cool story. My guy @TySimmons_3 worked out at Georgia Pro Day this week. He texted me someone from the Steelers was showing interest. Ty calls me and it's Steeler GM Kevin Colbert on the line saying he wants to offer him on the spot. Always compete, you never know who's watching.
— Brian McLaughlin (@bd_mclaughlin) March 19, 2021
McLaughlin said Simmons ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds, had a 36-inch vertical leap and eclipsed 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump.
“Those are actually bad numbers for him, good numbers for anyone else,” McLaughlin said. “He pretty much did the testing, ran his routes, then texted me and said, ‘Somebody from the Steelers is talking about signing me.’ ”
Unbeknownst to Simmons, that somebody was Colbert.
McLaughlin got his client on the phone and started asking questions.
“What area scout or college director is there (from the Steelers),” McLaughlin asked Simmons. “He put me on the phone and I hear, ‘Hey, Brian, this is Kevin Colbert.’ It was pretty funny. I know Kevin goes to a lot of pro days, but it was pretty cool that it was him.”
Neither Colbert nor anyone from the Steelers personnel department got a chance to evaluate Simmons in the 2020 pre-draft workout process. Simmons, who didn’t put up spectacular numbers in four years at Georgia, didn’t receive an invitation to the NFL Combine.
Then, the coronavirus pandemic struck, canceling Georgia’s pro day. Simmons wasn’t taken in the NFL Draft but signed a contract with the Houston Texans. He made the practice squad after training camp but was released two weeks later.
“It was a tough year to not get to play a preseason snap and then not get another opportunity right away,” McLaughlin said.
Simmons remained unemployed until he returned to Georgia for his workout.
“We were hoping to get him a little more exposure because he’s a really good athlete,” McLaughlin said. “Honestly, it wasn’t a great day for him.”
McLaughlin said Simmons previously ran the 40 in the “4.3s,” had a 40-plus inch vertical jump and surpassed 11 feet on the broad jump.
“His athleticism is so rare that a bad day for him is a great day for anybody else,” McLaughlin said.
A three-star recruit coming out of high school in Georgia, Simmons spent four years with the Bulldogs and was overshadowed by Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley until his senior season.
Simmons caught 35 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He also rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and returned punts as a senior. In 2019, he was named co-winner of the Bulldogs’ special teams MVP award for his work as a gunner.
“He got lost in the shuffle a bit,” McLaughlin said. “But his athleticism is off the charts. He’s probably the best pure athlete I’ve ever had, and I have 20 guys in the NFL.”
Simmons will encounter a crowded position room when he joins the Steelers for offseason workouts next month.
With JuJu Smith-Schuster re-signing last week, the Steelers will have their top five wide receivers back from last season. Simmons’ path to a roster spot likely will be via special teams or the practice squad.
