The Tennessee Titans will select quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, ushering in a new era for the offense. With glaring needs defensively, there have also been NFL rumors about the future of All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with the team.
Titans’ reporter Paul Kuharsky spoke to a pair of executives from other teams who shared that they haven’t gotten the sense that Simmons is on the market. If Tennessee wanted to shop its top defensive lineman, though, the executives believe the return would be a second or third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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- Jeffery Simmons stats: 15 pressures, 11 tackles for loss, 9 QB hits, 5 sacks, 4 pass deflections in 2024
Simmons, who turns 28 in July, is coming off his third Pro Bowl selection. Since entering the league as the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle has recorded 31.5 sacks with 104 pressures and 31 quarterback knockdowns in 84 games.
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- Jeffery Simmons contract (Spotrac): $22.77 million cap hit in 2025, $25.473 million cap hit in 2026, $28.3 million cap hit in 2027
If Tennessee wanted to trade Simmons for a Day 2 pick on Friday night, it would incur a $14.4 million dead cap hit with $8.37 million in cap savings. While it would get them out of the majority of the money he is owed from 2026-’27, it would also further deplete a defensive line that already has issues generating pressure.
The Titans’ front office could keep its options open to trading Simmons later this year. The 2025 NFL Draft class is deep at defensive tackle, allowing Tennessee to find a potential long-term replacement for Simmons on Day 2. If a rookie defensive tackle showed promise early next season and the Titans are near the bottom of the standings, Simmons could be an NFL trade candidate in November. For now, though, he isn’t available.
