Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Titans Receive Promising Jeffery Simmons Update on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 2:27 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans have largely struggled in recent seasons because of poor decision-making by former general managers Jon Robinson and Ran Carthon.

However, the one move that Robinson did get right was drafting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Despite playing through multiple regime changes in Tennessee, Simmons has been a stalwart on the Titans' defense live. He has been named to three Pro Bowls and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors on two occasions in just six NFL seasons.

After an exciting offseason for the Titans in which new general manager Mike Borgonzi brought in young quarterback Cam Ward, Simmons chose not to attend the team's voluntary offseason program.

Tennessee gave Simmons a four-year deal worth up to $94 million before the 2023 season, and he had no lingering ailments that would have kept him out. While these OTA workouts are not mandatory, it is relatively uncommon for a veteran player without an injury or contract concern to miss practices.

Mandatory minicamp began for the Titans on Tuesday, and fortunately, Simmons was in attendance.

Jeffery Simmons sighting #Titans pic.twitter.com/D9qvTTMSp7
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) June 10, 2025

Simmons also spoke to the media after minicamp and partially explained his absence, while also detailing how excited he was to be back.

"I feel great. It's great to be back out here on the field with the guys, getting to work with the guys," Simmons said. "It's not always an easy decision, making that decision not to be here with your teammates and a lot of new guys. ... That was my decision, it was a personal decision, but it felt great to be back out there today."

The Titans open up their season against the Denver Broncos, who boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Simmons being present, healthy and well-acquainted with the team's new players will be paramount if Tennessee wants to pull an upset over a 2024 playoff team in Week 1.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: