NASHVILLE – Jeffery Simmons got a new contract that pays him like an elite player.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Titans defensive tackle plans to keep playing at a high level, one that will continue raising the bar for him on the football field as well.
"Each and every day I wake up, it's: 'How can I separate myself from everyone else? How can I be the best version of myself? How can I be better than yesterday?'," Simmons said at last week's minicamp. "I kind of have that mindset that I am not everyone else, I am a different breed."
On Friday, the Titans and Simmons reached a deal on a multi-year contract extension.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time captain, and a three-time Community Man of the Year winner for the Titans, Simmons is coming off a season when he recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2025, along with 60 quarterback pressures, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
It earned him All-Pro honors, and another trip to the Pro Bowl.
Simmons said his plan this offseason is to be in the best shape of his life so he can maximize his abilities in a defense that fits him well.
Under new head coach Robert Saleh, Simmons will have even more of an opportunity to play aggressively. He's been used to playing technique, getting double-teamed and holding his ground at the line of scrimmage. New defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton doesn't want him to play that way any longer.
"It's kind of my first year playing in an attack defense," Simmons said. "That's my game. I like to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage … I love this type of defense, to be able to be on the other side of the line of scrimmage each and every play. It demands you to make plays. I love this philosophy, and think it will help me make a lot more plays in the backfield, and it will help this team for sure."
Simmons has his elbow cleaned out earlier this offseason. It's an injury that limited him in the past, keeping him from straightening out his right arm while wearing a brace. He said he feels great now, and he's ready to prove to his coaches he can play more snaps in a row than maybe what they have in mind.
Time will tell how that plays out.
To this point, Simmons hasn't let anything slow him down on the field.
In 2025, 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).
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.
In seven NFL seasons, Simmons has recorded 383 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 275 quarterback pressures, and 65 tackles for a loss. He's also caught two touchdowns in his NFL career.
"My goal this offseason," Simmons said, "is to work my tail off and get ready for training camp.
"My biggest goal is to win. … (My mindset) is: How can I be the best Jeffery when leave here, to come back July 28 (for training camp) ready to roll."
