After two consecutive Pro-Bowl seasons, Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons rightfully received a massive $94 million contract extension that will keep the superstar defender in Tennessee for the foreseeable future.
This mutual agreement was a no-brainer for both parties. Simmons became the second-highest-paid defender at his position in NFL history, while the Titans now have the heart and soul of their defense for the long haul.
Outside of being one of the team’s best players, the Mississippi State product is undoubtedly one of the team’s captains who leads with his mouth, his emotions, and most importantly, his actions.
Unsurprisingly, now that Simmons’ contract situation is resolved, he is back out there leading by example and showing the younger players how a true superstar prepares for the upcoming season after arriving for OTAs.
“When (guys) see me out there, I think it means something to our team,” he said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.“It shows what we’re about here in Tennessee. No matter who you are, we want people to buy into our standards.”
Outside of being a leader, seeing No. 98 out there practicing again is a sight for sore eyes for Titans fans everywhere. Simmons suffered an ankle injury in the middle of 2022 that caused him to miss a ton of practice time during the second half of the year.
The injury was severe enough to the point where he needed to shoot up his ankle every week just to be out there with his guys on game day, and it certainly impacted his play.
His dedication to staying on the field regardless showed how much Simmons truly cares about his team.
It’s such a shame that Jeffery Simmons & Denico Autry got hurt in the middle of the season.
Those two were legitimately dominating together before injuries slowed them down.The two of them combined for 66 pressures & 12.5 sacks over their first 8 games of the season.#Titans ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/0UAalMpDpz
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) March 30, 2023
Yet, with Tennessee in the midst of a downward spiral that saw the team play three different quarterbacks, no one could have blamed Simmons if he chose to protect his inevitable payday by ensuring that he didn’t hurt himself more than he already was.
Instead, he continued to put his body on the line every single week just to give his team a puncher’s chance.
Fortunately, it seems like the Titans’ star defender is on the right trajectory toward getting back to full health. While he was limited during the open session of OTAS on Tuesday, Simmons says he’s feeling good.
“I am feeling good so far,” Simmons said. “It’s been three months rehabbing, and just to be back out there with the guys, being in meetings with guys, it feels good.
“My thing is getting my feet back on the ground,” he added. “It’s been a while since I’ve been healthy, and it’s been a while since I felt like myself. Getting healthy is important, and I am not there yet. I am working my way back at it now, and it feels good to be back out there with my teammates.”
Simmons enters the 2023 season both heavily paid and heavily motivated to show the world that he’s back to being the Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player that he was prior to getting injured last season.
A fully healthy Jeffery Simmons is so damn entertaining to watch.
He’s just out there wreaking havoc in a variety of different ways https://t.co/suNNwIbXvh— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) May 13, 2023
“My goal this year is not to try and prove who I am,” he said. “My goal is: How can I be better than I was last year? Especially health-wise. I wasn’t 100 percent (last year). I want to go into this season down in my weight, and I want to be able to be consistent with that. I want to be consistent with my technique and my fundamentals, and consistent with my leadership — that’s what I have to prove to this team.
“I am not trying to prove, ‘I am better than this guy in this league,'” Simmons continued. This organization knows who I am as a player, and that’s why we came to a (contract) agreement. At this point in my career, it’s just, ‘How can I be more consistent with my play?”
In four NFL seasons, Simmons has tallied 196 tackles, 135 quarterback pressures, 26 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, 19 passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles.
