Could Titans' Jeffery Simmons make even more of an impact in 2026?

One of the biggest moves the Tennessee Titans made during this offseason was locking up defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to a record-breaking contract extension, making him the highest-paid interior defensive lineman in NFL history. Coming off a career season, Simmons was well deserving of the new contract, and incredibly, if head coach Robert Saleh has his way, those numbers could improve in 2026.

Simmons has been a rock on the Titans' front, but has not always been surrounded by a scheme or enough talent to completely dominate. But now, as ESPN’s Turron Davenport points out, with this new scheme and Saleh’s desire to keep him fresh, Simmons may be able to be even more of a difference-maker.

"The whole point of the rotation is to make sure that Jeffrey Simmons is ready for that one-on-one when we need it," Saleh said during minicamp. "Third down, two-minute, make sure he's fresh, ready to roll, and ready to exert every last fiber in his body and winning that one-on-one. So that's really the purpose behind it."

With the new scheme and with the way Simmons was disrespected in the NFL Top 100, it is easy to see how he could come to camp extra motivated in a few weeks, and that does not even take into account the added talent around him, which could jump-start his production.

While nothing is guaranteed and this is speculation, there is potential for Simmons to make an even bigger impact in 2026 and help the organization take a step forward.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Could Titans' Jeffery Simmons make even more of an impact in 2026?