Titans DT Among Top 100 Players

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is considered to be one of the best in the NFL.

Dec 17, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) walks on the field before the game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans have made a lot of additions on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense still has one of its mainstays.

Jeffery Simmons, who turns 27 next month, is one of the longest-tenured Titans on the roster. As the No. 19 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons is entering his sixth season with the team, and he probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's in the first year of the four-year, $94 million extension he signed with the team back in 2023.

He's worthy of every penny of that deal because CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco has him at No. 95 on his Top 100 Players of the NFL list.

"Last season was a down one for Simmons, and it ended in Week 12 with a knee injury, but his talent remains among the best in the league. Look for a bounce-back season for Simmons in 2024," Prisco writes.

Simmons dealt with injuries last season, limiting him to just 12 games, but he was on his usual pace. He recorded 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks, which ranked fourth on the team behind linebackers Arden Key, Harold Landry III and Denico Autry. The latter signed a free agent deal with the AFC South rival Houston Texans, so the Titans may need Simmons to help pick up some of that load.

Simmons made it to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022, and he hopes that he can stay healthy in order to have a chance to get back there this year.

Things will look different with new coach Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, but Simmons is excited about the change.

"I think coming up this season for us is it's going to be one of those seasons where we have to really reestablish ourselves in Tennessee," Simmons told team reporter Jim Wyatt. "Having a chance to meet Coach Callahan in person, when I was in the building, I could tell that he is ready, he wants to win. And I am excited for the staff he is bringing in, especially with DC (Dennard Wilson) from Baltimore. I am excited, man. I think it is going to be good for us as an organization."

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