Simmons Happy With Weight While Wait for Extension Continues

The Pro Bowl defensive tackle feels lighter on his feet for training camp, wants to stay that way throughout the 2022 NFL season.

NASHVILLE – Ever since he entered the NFL as a first-round pick in 2019, Jeffery Simmons has been on a steadily upward trajectory in terms of his play and his reputation.

The same cannot be said about his weight. That has gone up and down.

Coming off a campaign that included his first Pro Bowl appearance and second-team All-Pro recognition, the Tennessee Titans defensive lineman says that right now he is down once again. This time, he intends to stay there – at least throughout the course of the season.

“I weighed in at 309,” Simmons said last week. “That’s one of the things that I want to keep consistent by staying right around there or under that. I think that will help me, and it will help this team.”

Discussions about Simmons and his weight have become as predictable a part of the offseason as the draft and free agency. It’s not that there is necessarily public curiosity or concern. Instead, Simmons is the one who always has been quick to bring it up, as was the case this time.

Two years ago, he started the offseason where he is now, at about 310 pounds. That, he said at the time, was 15-20 pounds lighter than during his rookie season, which was affected by the fact that he spent the majority of that year rehabbing from reconstructive knee surgery.

Last year, he focused on clean eating and said he reported for the start of offseason work at about 301 pounds. He didn’t stay there.

“It was up and down last year,” Simmons said. “I was probably right around 315 [during the regular season], sometimes more than that.

“This year, my goal and what I’m supposed to be doing is consistency. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

While Simmons worked on his body, most of the rest of the football world was focused on the size of his paycheck. He will earn a base salary of $2.21 million this season as part of the deal he signed when Tennessee drafted him 19th overall in 2019. He is scheduled to earn $10.753 million in 2023, the option year that will complete his rookie deal.

His decision to stay away from the voluntary portion of the offseason and his failure to participate in practices during June’s mandatory minicamp fueled the belief that he is angling for a contract extension right now.

No deal has been struck – not yet at least – and general manager Jon Robinson declined to provide any update on the day players reported for training camp.

Simmons reported on time and has been a full participant through the first week of workouts. That, however, is likely to change at some point.

Coach Mike Vrabel said at the start of camp that Simmons is one of the players who has earned the right to occasional rest and is one of the players – Derrick Henry, Ben Jones and Kevin Byard are among the others – who will follow alternate plans throughout the preseason.

“(Simmons) plays to a certain standard,” Vrabel said. “And when you do that, you have the luxury to be able to hold other people to that standard, whether that's in the weight room, meeting room or on the practice field. Everybody leads differently, but I do appreciate Jeff’s willingness to play with passion and also hold guys accountable. And then he'll hold himself accountable if he doesn't live up to the standard that he set and that we expect of him.”

Simmons made it clear from the first time he met the media in training camp that he is weary of the speculation about the status of contract talk – and that he will not address the issue in the coming weeks.

But while he waits for a new deal, he is more than happy – as usual – to talk about his weight and what a difference he thinks is might make.

“When you’re lighter, especially playing my position, you’re not feeling [fatigued],” Simmons said. “Like, you always have guys with camp legs. I feel like that’s something that will help me out, especially later on in camp. Just by conditioning my legs with that weight that I have on me it won’t tire me down as quick.

“… I’m feeling great. I could tell just the way I’m moving (on the first day). Just the way I’ve been taking care of my body and what I put in my body, it shows out here. I feel great. It’s the best I’ve felt coming into a training camp. So, it’s just me being consistent with all the stuff I said I was going to do this offseason.”