During a break Monday morning from tidying up his locker, signing jerseys and exchanging phone numbers with teammates, Broncos safety Justin Simmons was asked by The Denver Post if he will canvas the contracts signed by players at his position to help gauge his value.

“I’m going to be looking at them and taking that into consideration,” he said. “The best thing to do would be just kind of match up how I did in my contract year in comparison to other guys.”

The match game started Friday.

Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson agreed to a four-year, $58.4 million contract that includes $33 million in total guarantees ($22 million fully guaranteed).

“Highest-paid safety in NFL history,” tweeted Jackson’s agency, Sports Trust Advisors.

But probably not for long. By signing one of Vic Fangio’s prized pupils (Jackson played three years for Fangio in Chicago), Jackson’s camp set the bar for the Simmons/Broncos talks.

“No doubt,” a league executive said Friday afternoon. “Jackson’s deal basically means Simmons won’t take less than that.”

Translation: Friday was a good day to be Justin Simmons.

And it got better when he was named second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press, justice for Simmons after he didn’t receive so much as a Pro Bowl alternate status.

Is Simmons in line for a Jackson-type payday because their games are similar?

When asked if Simmons belongs in the same skill level conversation as Jackson, a second league executive texted back a one-word answer: “No.”

Even if the second executive is right and teams view Jackson as better than Simmons, there are two points to consider. All it takes is one club that needs safety help and has beau-coup cap space to drive up Simmons’ value (if he hits the market), and two, the Broncos may view Simmons as the same kind of fit Jackson was in Fangio’s scheme and pay him accordingly.

A look at the statistics for Jackson and Simmons …

Jackson, who has played three years, has been named to two Pro Bowls (2018-19), was first-team All-Pro in ’18 and has 15 total takeaways (10 interceptions/five fumble recoveries) and 187 tackles in 46 games. He is 27 years old.

Simmons, who has played four years, has this year’s second-team All-Pro selection plus 10 takeaways (all interceptions) and 289 tackles in 58 games (48 starts). He is a year younger than Jackson. Simmons’ All-Pro nod is the first for a Broncos safety since Brian Dawkins in 2009.

The takeaway difference jumps off the page, but Simmons’ impact on the Broncos has grown each year. This season, he again played every defensive snap and led the team with four interceptions and 15 pass break-ups. His 93 tackles were tied for second-most and he had only six missed tackles.

Among safeties whose contracts are expiring, Simmons is at the top, ahead of Minnesota’s Anthony Harris, Chicago’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and New England’s Devin McCourty.

Jackson’s $14.6 million average easily eclipsed Tennessee’s Kevin Byard ($14.1 million). Kansas City’s Tyrann Mathieu and Washington’s Landon Collins (both $14 million) and Baltimore’s Earl Thomas ($13.75 million) are the only other three above a $12 million average. Thomas (Seattle to Baltimore), Mathieu (Houston to Kansas City) and Collins (Giants to Washington) all changed teams last offseason.

Don’t worry, Broncos fans, Simmons isn’t going anywhere. The team has the franchise tag to play with, which would guarantee Simmons’ 2020 salary once he signs it and still allow him and the team to negotiate a long-term contract until July 15.

A comparable for Simmons will be Byard, who is 26 and re-signed with the team that drafted him in the third round (32 picks before Simmons). Valued by the team that drafted him. A safety. Entering the prime of his career.

“(Simmons is) not as good as Byard,” the second executive said. “But Simmons’ number will be closer to Jackson than Byard.”

Simmons’ listed agent is Todd France.

“Oh (expletive), he’ll want to get more than Jackson,” the second executive said of France.

Simmons wants to stay with the Broncos. Fangio wants Simmons to remain a versatile chess piece on his defense. General manager John Elway told Simmons on Monday he wants him to stay. Things will work out for Simmons and Jackson’s contract could only help.

“Every team has a different priority and different cap space and I’m not expert in any of that,” Simmons said. “I know what I bring to the table and I feel like I did fairly well this year. … I’m just excited to see what the offseason brings. This won’t be a time of worry.”