SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Saleh had Jeffery Simmons at: "We're going to talk a little sh*t."
"I (told) him: That's my style of play," Simmons said with a smile. "Everything Coach Saleh has said, that's how I like to play the game. I like to play fast and violent, and everybody knows I am probably one of the biggest smack-talkers in the league, not only on Sundays, but I talk smack at practice.
"So, me and coach are going to get along just fine. I know the way he wants his guys to play, and that is my style of football."
Simmons is at the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career. He had a long travel day from Nashville before arriving in the Bay area in the middle of the night early Sunday.
Simmons said he's gotten to know Saleh, introduced as head coach of the Titans on Thursday, a little bit over the course of the last week, and he's looking forward to getting to know him better.
Simmons talked to Saleh on the night he agreed to terms with the team, but not until after first missing a call from Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi, who was eager to tell his star defensive lineman the news.
"At first I was like, aw man, I got a missed call from Mike at 11:15 p.m.," Simmons said. "But I called Mike back, and he was standing right there with Coach Saleh. It was cool to get that FaceTime, and hear Mike say: 'Meet your new head coach.' … I had a lot of faith in Mike and them making the right hire. He was telling me his vision and I believed in him, and I believe in the vision. Hopefully we can get this thing turned around in Tennessee."
Simmons, in his seventh NFL season, recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2025, when he also recorded 60 quarterback pressures, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
Simmons broke Jurrell Casey's mark (10.5 sacks in 2013) for the most sacks in a season by a Titans defensive tackle in the franchise's "Titans era" (1999 to present).
Simmons believes he can take things to another level under Saleh, who just wrapped up his 21st NFL season, and in his second stint as defensive coordinator with the 49ers. Before returning to the 49ers, Saleh spent three-plus seasons (2021-24) as head coach of the Jets.
During his time in the NFL, Saleh has been a part of nine top-10 defenses, and in his nine seasons as a defensive coordinator or head coach, his team has finished in the top five in total defense on five occasions.
"Everything he stands for, and everything he talks about, the conversations that we've had, it's everything I want to hear," Simmons said. "Especially coming from a defensive coach, someone who I know is going to call our plays on defense, I am excited. I am excited to get to work with him.
"I told him: I'm ready to get to work with him, and I'm ready to learn and figure out what's his philosophy. We've chopped it up a little bit, but I am excited to figure out his defense. You hear guys talking about it, and you watch tape and see how excited his defense it, and you see the energy that he brings on the sideline. I am looking forward to that and ready to get to work for him."
Simmons believes Saleh's approach will benefit the entire team.
"We have a young football team, and I feel like we still have to figure things out," Simmons said. "And I think with Saleh coming him, with his style of coaching, I think it will be great for us, especially having such a young football team.
"I think the culture change will be good for us."
A five-time captain, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time Community Man of the Year winner for the Titans, Simmons was named first-team All-Pro in 2025 after being named second team All-Pro in 2021 and 2022.
In the last 10 seasons (2016 to 2025), Simmons (2025) and Aaron Donald (2021) are the only NFL defensive tackles to produce at least 10 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed in a single season.
Simmons wants to be even better moving forward, and here at the Pro Bowl, he said he's going to do everything he can to make it happen. He brushed off a question about being snubbed for consideration for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award (Simmons is not one of the five players nominated).
"We all know who the award is going to this year," Simmons said of Cleveland's Myles Garrett, who set the NFL's single-season sack record in 2025. "And, he deserves it. But that kind of stuff doesn't bother me. My goal is always just to be in the moment, be present, where my feet are at, and just try and keep getting better. As a team, the season didn't go the way we wanted it to go as far as winning games. But I feel like everything I wanted, aside from not winning enough games, I got this year. To be able to make it to my fourth Pro Bowl, to be named first-team All-Pro, that came with it.
"I just want to be in the moment, and it's a blessing to be able to be back here at my fourth Pro Bowl. It was a whirlwind to get here, but we made it safe. And my goal moving forward to just to keep working, and do everything I can to be the best I can be, and help the Tennessee Titans win more football games."
