NASHVILLE – A Titans veteran and a Titans rookie have been recognized for their exemplary seasons.
The rosters for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games were announced on Tuesday, and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and rookie returner Chimere Dike have been named to the AFC's roster.
The players were informed of the news during a team meeting this morning at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.
It's the fourth time Simmons has been named a Pro Bowler, after also earning spots in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Dike is the franchise's sixth rookie to be named to the Pro Bowl since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger and the first since returner Marc Mariani in 2010. The others to do so were running back Earl Campbell (1978), defensive end Jevon Kearse (1999), quarterback Vince Young (2006) and running back Chris Johnson (2008).
Player selections for the AFC and NFC rosters for the Pro Bowl Games were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches, with each group's vote counting as one-third toward determining the all-star players who will be selected to this year's Pro Bowl Games.
Simmons and Dike each finished first in the AFC at their respective positions in the fan voting.
It's been a monster year for Simmons, who leads the team with nine sacks while also recording 54 quarterback pressures, 58 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
A first-round pick of the Titans in the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons now has 40.5 sacks in his career, making him the franchise's 12th player to reach 40 sacks and the fifth player to do so in the organization's "Titans era" (1999 to present).
It's been a do-it-all season for Simmons, who caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Ward in the team's game vs the 49ers on December 14, and he also recorded a safety in this past Sunday's win over the Chiefs.
Simmons is the only defensive tackle since at least 2000 to record both a safety and an offensive touchdown in the same season.
Earlier this month, Simmons was named as the team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
It's been a breakout year for Dike, who on Sunday became just the fourth rookie in NFL history to record at least four receiving touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns, joining Tyreek Hill (2016), Dez Bryant (2010), and Eddie Kennison (1996).
As a rookie, Dike leads the league in all-purpose yards (2,269), kickoff returns (60), kickoff return yards (1,535) and yards per punt return (18.2). He is tied for 12th with 21 punt returns and ranks third in punt return yards with 382. He is one-of-five players this season to record two punt return touchdowns.
Dike also joined A.J. Brown (nine touchdowns in 2019), Chris Johnson (10 in 2008) and Vince Young (seven in 2006) as the only franchise rookies since the start of the 1999 season with at least six total touchdowns.
With a league-high 1,535 kickoff return yards in 2025, Dike moved past Mariani (1,530 in 2010) to set the record for the highest single-season total in franchise history. Dike's 1,535 kickoff return yards are the most in the NFL in a season since Arizona's LaRod Stephens-Howling had 1,548 in 2010.
For the first time, the 2026 Pro Bowl Games will move to Super Bowl LX Week in the San Francisco Bay Area. The event brings the league's top players together for an AFC vs. NFC flag football showdown, coached by Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (NFC) and Steve Young (AFC), which will preview the elite athleticism and competition of the sport ahead of its LA28 Olympics debut.
The televised event will air live from San Francisco's Moscone Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Coverage of the Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon will begin on ESPN starting at 5:30 p.m. CT with the flag game at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN, Disney XD and ESPN Deportes.
