Simmons, Stonehouse Named Second-Team All-Pro

For the first time since 2018, the Tennessee Titans did not have anyone earn first-team recognition among the top NFL players.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and punter Ryan Stonehouse have been named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

It’s the second straight season Simmons has earned second-team AP All-Pro honors, while Stonehouse claimed the distinction as arookie.

Simmons finished fourth in the voting at defensive interior line, trailing only Kansas City’s Chris Jones, the New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams and the New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence. Simmons earned three first-place votes after finishing the season with 54 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and nine tackles for a loss.

The Titans’ first-round draft pick in 2019, Simmons missed two games due to an ankle injury, which slowed his production in the second half of the season.

Stonehouse made quite an impression in his first NFL season, leading the league with a gross average of 53.1 yards per punt and finishing sixth in net average at 43.4 yards per punt. He broke Sammy Baugh's single-season NFL record of 51.4 yards per punt, a mark that was set in 1940.

Stonehouse finished second in the voting among punters behind the Chiefs’ Tommy Townsend, who led the NFL with a net punting average of 45.6. Townsend had 28 first-place votes to 13 for Townsend.

Four other Titans players received All-Pro votes at their respective positions: running back Derrick Henry was fourth, long snapper Morgan Cox fifth, safety Kevin Byard tied for ninth and linebacker David Long tied for 16th.

Cox was named an NFLPA All-Pro earlier this week.

This is the first season in the last four the Titans didn’t have a first-team AP All-Pro selection, as former punter Brett Kern made the list in 2019, Henry in 2020 and Byard in 2021.

Earlier this season Henry, Cox and Simmons were named to the 2023 Pro Bowl, while Stonehouse, Byard, center Ben Jones and inside linebacker Dylan Cole (special teams) were named Pro Bowl alternates.