Robert Saleh has brought in a number of former Jets defensive linemen in his first offseason as Titans HC, however the second-chance leader will count on holdover Jeffery Simmons as his D-line anchor. Simmons now has the contract to reflect that status.
The Titans and Simmons agreed on a three-year extension Friday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. Simmons’ third NFL contract is price $105.8MM and can bring $100MM guaranteed. At $35.27MM per 12 months, Simmons smashes the previous D-tackle AAV record. The Titans have since announced the extension.
Chris Jones previously stood because the NFL’s highest-paid interior D-lineman, agreeing to a five-year Chiefs deal (price $158.75MM) just before the 2024 free agency period. Jones’ AAV ($31.75MM) eclipsed Aaron Donald‘s number, and after the legendary Ram’s retirement, no other DT was tied to a deal north of $29MM per 12 months. Simmons’ pact modified that, and the thaw on this market will probably be felt outside of Nashville within the near future as well.
Kansas City gave Jones $95MM in total guarantees; no other D-tackle entered Friday north of $76MM. Simmons, 28, becomes the primary interior D-lineman to receive $100MM guaranteed. He’s the seventh defender to sign for nine figures guaranteed, joining edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson Jr., Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt. Simmons’ guarantee number checks in seventh amongst that crop, however it breaks a key barrier on the defensive tackle market.
Two seasons remained on Simmons’ previous Titans deal. Tennessee had given the All-Pro DT a four-year, $94MM extension in April 2023. That offseason established a second tier between Donald and the sphere at D-tackle, with Simmons joining Dexter Lawrence, Daron Payne and Quinnen Williams in signing an extension that landed between $22-$24MM every year that offseason. Nnamdi Madubuike, Milton Williams and Zach Allen landed deals between Donald and the Lawrence-Payne-Simmons-Quinnen Williams tier. (Christian Wilkins did as well, however the Raiders cut him barely a 12 months after authorizing the contract.)
Simmons has rewarded the Titans for his or her 2019 first-round investment. The Jon Robinson GM era featured considerable success but some first-round misses. Simmons was Robinson’s top first-round hit, and he has now signed contracts with three GMs. Ran Carthon prolonged Simmons months after Robinson’s ouster, and Mike Borgonzi signed off on the Friday payday. Borgonzi and Saleh inherited Simmons, and a D-line stuffed with ex-Saleh cogs will still revolve around Simmons’ talents.
Although the Titans have nosedived because the Robinson-Mike Vrabel years, Simmons has been a defensive linchpin. Last season proved to be his best. The Mississippi State product tallied a career-high 11 sacks, despite playing for a three-win team, and earned first-team All-Pro honors for the primary time. Twice a second-team All-Pro previously, Simmons has been one among the NFL’s best D-linemen for many of his profession.
The Titans have modified defensive schemes this offseason and brought in a number of ex-Jets (John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Jacob Martin, Solomon Thomas) and ex-Saleh 49er charge Jordan Elliott. Additionally they drafted D-end Keldric Faulk in the primary round. Tennessee will count on Simmons to steer its reshuffled front. His presence has helped the likes of Harold Landry, Arden Key and T’Vondre Sweat prior to now. Saleh will hope Simmons can stay on his current path and boost his collection of imports.
Drafted weeks after suffering an ACL tear, Simmons managed to get better in time to make a late-season debut as a rookie. He joined fellow 2019 draftee A.J. Brown in helping the Titans to the AFC championship game. Simmons became a full-time starter in 2020 and broke through with an 8.5-sack 2021 to assist Tennessee to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. He punctuated that surge with a three-sack performance within the Titans’ divisional-round loss to the Bengals. Simmons then earned All-Pro acclaim in 2022 and, after a 12-game 2023 season, made one other Pro Bowl in 2024.
The Titans kept Simmons out of trade talks on the 2024 deadline, and as teams called to see if the team could be willing to maneuver on after firing HC Brian Callahan, the AFC South club held onto its top defensive asset. Borgonzi referred to Simmons as a core player after refusing to trade him last November, and the second-year GM will stand on that assessment months later.
Simmons and safety Amani Hooker are the one starters left from the Robinson era. The Titans have made a number of decision-making changes since, they usually are actually rebooting around Saleh. Chad Brinker, who was on board with Carthon when that regime prolonged Simmons in 2023, left the organization not too long after Borgonzi obtained final say on the team’s 53-man roster. Saleh and Borgonzi have made a number of changes this offseason, spending heavily in free agency and adding two first-round picks.
Because two years remained on Simmons’ previous pact, he’ll now be contracted through the 2030 season. His $100MM guarantee will definitely not represent what’s locked in at signing. That number isn’t yet known, but given the market increase here, it stands to reason Simmons’ full guarantee will surpass Jones’ position-leading $60MM figure. Other extension-seeking DTs will now have a brand new ceiling to focus on, as this marks the fourth NFL position — after quarterback, edge rusher and wide receiver — to succeed in the $35MM-per-year destination.