Brent Omar Grimes (born July 19, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Shippensburg University and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Grimes was allocated to the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa in 2006 and was part of the team that won World Bowl XV.
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons 2006 On May 16, 2006, the Atlanta Falcons signed Grimes to three-year, $1.08 million contract after he went undrafted in the 2006 NFL draft.
During training camp, Grimes competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback and special teams player. He competed against Chris Cash, Allen Rossum, and Omare Lowe before sustaining a groin injury. He was subsequently waived by the Atlanta Falcons during training camp.
2007 On January 10, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons signed Grimes to a reserve/futures contract and immediately allocated him to play overseas in NFL Europa. Grimes was initially acquired by the Amsterdam Admirals before becoming a part of the Rhein Fire and then joined the Hamburg Sea Devils. He started at cornerback for the Sea Devils and helped them achieve a 7–3 record and finish first in their division. On June 23, 2007, Grimes appeared in World Bowl XV and was part of the Hamburg Sea Devils team that defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 37–28.
After winning World Bowl XV, Grimes returned to the Atlanta Falcons and attended organized team activities and training camp. Throughout camp, Grimes competed against Antoine Harris and David Irons for a job as a backup cornerback and special teams player. On September 2, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons waived Grimes as part of their final roster cuts, but re-signed him to their practice squad the following day.
On December 17, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons promoted Grimes to their active roster after cornerback Lewis Sanders tore his pectoral muscle and was placed on injured reserve. On December 12, 2007, head coach Bobby Petrino resigned from his position after only 13 games where the Falcons finished with a 3–10 record. Petrino decided to accept the vacant head coaching job at Arkansas after quarterback Michael Vick was arrested for operating an unlawful interstate dog fighting venture. Interim head coach Emmitt Thomas named Grimes the third cornerback on the depth chart, behind DeAngelo Hall and Chris Houston. On December 23, 2007, Grimes made his professional regular season debut and recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 30–27 loss at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. He completed his rookie season in 2007 with 12 combined tackles (11 solo) in two games and no starts.
2008 Throughout training camp, Grimes competed to be a starting cornerback after DeAngelo Hall was traded to the Oakland Raiders. He competed against Von Hutchins, David Irons, and Chevis Jackson. Grimes quickly rose up the depth chart and surprised many analysts with his performances in training camp. The Atlanta Falcons' new head coach, Mike Smith, named Grimes a starting cornerback to begin the 2008 regular season, along with Chris Houston.
He made his first career start in the Atlanta Falcons' season-opener against the Washington Redskins and recorded a season-high six solo tackles in their 34–21 victory. On September 21, 2008, Grimes made one tackle, two pass deflections, and made his first career interception off a pass by quarterback Tyler Thigpen during a 38–14 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. The following week, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and broke up a pass in the Falcons' 24–9 loss at the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. In Week 8, Grimes was benched in favor of Domonique Foxworth during the Falcons' loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. On November 6, 2008, head coach Mike Smith stated Domonique Foxworth would remain the starter for the rest of the season. He was inactive for a Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos due to an ankle injury. Grimes was sidelined for three more games (Weeks 13–15) after injuring his knee. He completed the 2008 season with 34 combined tackles (30 solo), six passes defensed, and an interception in 12 games and six starts.
The Atlanta Falcons finished second in the NFC South with an 11–5 record and clinched a wildcard berth. On January 3, 2009, Grimes appeared in his first career playoff game as the Falcons lost 30–24 at the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Wildcard Game.
2009 During training camp, Grimes competed for a job as a starting cornerback against Chris Owens, Von Hutchins, Chevis Jackson, and David Irons. Head coach Mike Smith named Grimes and Chris Houston the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.
On November 22, 2009, Grimes collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo), two pass deflections, and an interception during a 34–31 loss at the New York Giants. In Week 15, he recorded six solo tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted two pass attempts by quarterback Mark Sanchez in the Falcons' 10–7 victory at the New York Jets. The following week, Grimes collected a season-high nine solo tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception during a 31–3 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. On December 29, 2009, it was announced that Grimes was selected to be an alternate for the 2010 Pro Bowl. On January 3, 2010, Grimes made two solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Josh Freeman in a 20–10 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. His interception marked his third consecutive game with a pick. Grimes finished the 2009 season with 66 combined tackles (62 solo), 13 pass deflections, and a season-high six interceptions in 16 games and eight starts.
2010 During training camp, Grimes competed for a job as a starting cornerback against Chris Owens. Head coach Mike Smith named Grimes and newly acquired free agent Dunta Robinson the starting cornerbacks to begin the 2010 regular season.
On October 17, 2010, Grimes collected a season-high 12 combined tackles (ten solo) and a pass deflection in the Falcons' 31–17 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. In Week 13, he made seven combined tackles, a career-high six pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Josh Freeman during a 28–24 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On December 19, 2010, Grimes recorded five pass deflections, three solo tackles, and an interception in a 34–18 win at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. Grimes earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He recorded a career-high 87 combined tackles (76 solo), 23 pass deflections, and five interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.
The Atlanta Falcons finished first in the NFC South with a 13–3 record, clinching home-field advantage and a first round bye. On January 15, 2011, Grimes started in his first career playoff game and collected seven solo tackles in a 48–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. On January 24, 2011, it was announced that Grimes would play in the 2011 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Charles Woodson who was appearing in Super Bowl XLV.
2011 On July 25, 2011, the Atlanta Falcons placed a first round restricted free agent tender on Grimes. On August 4, 2011, Grimes signed his one-year, $2.61 million restricted free agent tender to remain with the Falcons for the 2011 season. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder retained Grimes and Dunta Robinson as the starting cornerback duo to begin the regular season. In Week 5, Grimes recorded a season-high seven combined tackles and deflected two passes during a 25–14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. In Week 12, he sustained a knee injury and underwent minor knee surgery that sidelined him for the next three games (Weeks 13–15). Grimes re-injured his knee and was inactive for the Falcons' Week 17 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and during their NFC Wildcard Game at the New York Giants. He completed the season with 49 combined tackles (37 solo), 14 passes defensed, and an interception in 12 games and 12 starts.
2012 On March 2, 2012, the Atlanta Falcons applied their franchise tag to Grimes for the upcoming 2012 season. On April 24, 2012, Grimes signed his one-year, $10.60 million franchise tag after speculation that the Falcons were seeking a trade to acquire cornerback Asante Samuel.
The Atlanta Falcons' new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan retained Grimes and Dunta Robinson the starting cornerbacks to begin the season, ahead of Asante Samuel. He started in the Atlanta Falcons' season-opener at the Kansas City Chiefs and recorded six solo tackles before exiting in the fourth quarter of their 40–24 victory with a calf injury. On September 11, 2012, the Atlanta Falcons placed Grimes on injured reserve for the rest of the season after it was discovered he would have to undergo surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
2013 After the 2012 season, Grimes became an unrestricted free agent. The Atlanta Falcons did not offer Grimes a contract. During free agency, Grimes attended visits with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins
On March 30, 2013, the Miami Dolphins signed Grimes to a one-year, $5.50 million contract with $2.75 million guaranteed.
Grimes entered training camp slated as the No. 1 cornerback on the depth chart and led a young core of cornerbacks that included Will Davis and Jamar Taylor. Head coach Joe Philbin named Grimes the starter to begin the regular season, alongside Dimitri Patterson.
On September 15, 2013, Grimes recorded a season-high three pass deflections, five combined tackles, and intercepted a pass by Andrew Luck during a 24–20 victory at the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. In Week 9, he collected five solo tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception for his first career touchdown in the Dolphins' 22–20 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. He intercepted a pass by quarterback Andy Dalton, that was originally intended for Marvin Jones, and returned it for a 94-yard touchdown in the third quarter. On December 22, 2013, he collected a season-high six combined tackles in the Dolphins' 19–0 loss at the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. On December 23, 2013, Grimes was voted to the 2014 Pro Bowl, marking his third Pro Bowl selection. Grimes completed the 2013 season with a total of 60 combined tackles (52 solo), 17 passes defensed, four interceptions, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. He ranked as the second best cornerback by Pro Football Focus and was ranked as the 95th best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
2014 On March 3, 2014, the Miami Dolphins signed Grimes to a four-year, $32 million contract that includes $16 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $6 million. The contract is only guaranteed for the first two seasons and includes an option for the Dolphins to opt-out of the contract in 2016 or 2017.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle retained Grimes as a starting cornerback, alongside Cortland Finnegan. Grimes and Finnegan drew comparisons for their small school pedigree as both entered the league in 2006, stood at 5'10", and became Pro Bowl cornerbacks.