Titans: Jeffery Simmons criminally underrated by national outlet
Jeffery Simmons has played his way into a four-year contract valued at $94 million, which he signed earlier this offseason. While Simmons is being paid like one of the best interior defensive linemen in football, there is a sense among Titans fans that he is undervalued in the eyes of the national media. Simmons is […]
Jeffery Simmons has played his way into a four-year contract valued at $94 million, which he signed earlier this offseason. While Simmons is being paid like one of the best interior defensive linemen in football, there is a sense among Titans fans that he is undervalued in the eyes of the national media.
Simmons is coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowl nods to go along with two straight Second-Team All-Pro honors. The type of physical dominance he exhibits is rarely found at the NFL level. But one national outlet is severely undervaluing the Mississippi State product.
Pro Football Focus recently released a list of their top 32 interior defensive linemen in football. Simmons checked in at the No. 10 slot, which feels a touch low for a player with his recent productivity.
From PFF: While Simmons hasn't put together a fully dominant season, he has displayed flashes and stretches of high-level play throughout his career. In 2022, he recorded 53 total pressures on 584 pass-rushing snaps, adding to his strong sack total over the past two seasons (22).
There are plenty of talented players ranked in front of Simmons, but guys like D.J. Reader, Cameron Hayward, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins are all currently inferior to Big Jeff. It feels as though they are being prioritized due to popularity or team success rather than actual production.
This is nothing new for star players in Tennessee. Titans fans will remember when Deion Sanders referred to Kevin Byard as “just a fan” after he had earned First-Team All-Pro honors the season before.
At the end of the day, Titans fans know that the amount of defensive tackles on Simmons’ level can be counted on one hand. The national media will rarely give Titans players their due credit. It just doesn’t generate the buzz and website hits they desire.
Simmons enters his fifth season with the Titans in 2023. He will be hunting his first double-digit sack season in the NFL as a key cog in one of the most underrated pass rushes the NFL has to offer.
Featured image via George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports
