NEW ORLEANS – Jeffery Simmons has been with the Titans through the good and the bad.
A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons enjoyed back-to-back AFC South titles, and he played on a team that advanced to the AFC Championship Game. Yet another Titans team finished the regular season as the AFC's No.1 seed.
Simmons has also seen coaches and general managers come and go, along with teammates. The Titans are picking first overall in this year's NFL Draft because of their 3-14 record this past season, which came on the heels of back-to-back losing seasons.
Simmons, in town for Super Bowl LIX as the team's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, is ready for a rebound, and he said he's completely confident the Titans will be a contender again soon. In fact, he sees himself playing in the big game himself at some point in the not-so-distant future.
"That's my goal," Simmons said. "And I think with the things we have in place in Tennessee, it's going to happen. Heck, I think we have three or four former GMs with us now. I think Miss Amy understands what we need to do from what I am seeing with the hires, and I am excited.
"I am excited to see what (the new regime) can do with our team, and our roster. I most definitely believe we can get here, and we will get here."
For that to happen, Simmons said he's putting more on himself to be a better player, and a better leader.
He plans to make efforts for that to happen in 2025 with improved play, and a better understanding of his teammates, especially those new to the league.
On the field, Simmons is still playing at a high level. In 2024, he finished second on the team with 76 tackles, and he also led the team with 42 quarterback pressures. Simmons also tallied five sacks, 11 tackles for a loss and four passes defensed, along with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
His performance resulted in him being named to his third Pro Bowl, albeit as an injury replacement.
Simmons, however, said he knows he can play better. He plans to work this offseason – a big part of it training with rookie T'Vondre Sweat – on keeping his speed and explosiveness throughout the year, with the mentality of finishing the season as strong as he starts it.
He also plans to adjust his approach when it comes to leadership, as he's gotten older – he's just 27, but he's headed into his seventh NFL season – and some new, younger players have made up a bigger part of the team's roster.
"I think for me, I have always been a vocal guy who is able to hold guys accountable," Simmons said. "But I think one of the biggest things I learned this past season, having such a young team, is you have these guys coming out of college, some of them the best players on the team, and a lot of them didn't know how to handle maybe constructive criticism. And I know I maybe need to be better with how I deliver it.
"So, for me, it's all about: How can I approach it better in my message to get to some of the young guys because some guys don't take it as a veteran like Arden (Key) might take it. I hold myself to a high standard, so at the end of the day it's all about: How can I be a better leader for the team? And how can I deliver my message better when I am trying to hold them accountable? At the end of the day, guys know me, and they know I am a passionate player. It may come off sometimes wrong, but I hope they all know how much I care about the guys in the locker room."
Simmons, in fact, said he plans to talk to some retired veterans for advice on how to better deliver his messaging, which he believes can result in him being a better leader.
"And as far as my own game goes, it's all about: How can I be better?," Simmons said. "My motto is: Be better than I was yesterday. And now it's: How can I be better than last year, and moving forward? As a team, hopefully next year we can start on the right track and end on the right track. The same goes for me."
Simmons said he plans to meet with Sweat in Dallas, in March, for a grueling training regimen.
"I told him: Don't be thinking it's going to be light, because we're going to get after it," he said with a smile. "We're going to get a lot of work in this offseason."
Simmons said he has confidence in coach Brian Callahan, and he believes "we have the coaches in the building to get us where we want to go."
While Simmons said he was sad to see former GM Ran Carthon go, he's excited about what he's heard from the recently hired Mike Borgonzi, who has been joined in the front office with Dave Ziegler and Reggie McKenzie, a pair of personnel pros.
"Mike, I've been hearing a lot of great things about him," Simmons said. "And, I am looking forward to seeing what he can do to help us get back to where we want to be in Tennessee."
Here on Super Bowl Radio Row, Simmons has been telling questionnaires he's done discussing the 3-14 season in 2024.
He's changing the subject.
"The first thing I tell them is that season is over with and it's all about moving forward," he said. "We're going to have a brand-new season next year. I'm sure there's a lot of guys that are going to be in the locker room, but there will be a lot of guys who will not be in the locker room. So, it's all about trying to build that foundation. Going into next season, that's going to be big."
While in the Super Bowl city, Simmons made it a point to mention how he's noticed how close the Kansas City Chiefs seem to be as a team.
Sure, they have talent, Simmons said, but in listening to interviews and in talking to some of their players, the bond on the team stands out as well. Simmons wants that in Tennessee, and he plans to do his part to make it happen in Tennessee.
When that happens, and the foundation is strong, a turnaround will come, he predicted.
"I 100 percent believe in the organization in Tennessee," he said. "At the end of the day, where it starts at is finding players in the draft who can help us win football games. But no matter who we have on the roster, it's all about the foundation."
Simmons also made it clear he wants to be a part of the change, no matter what.
"Most definitely," he said. "My heart is in Tennessee, and I express that Miss Amy all the time. This is where I want to retire, and I don't see myself playing anywhere else."
