Jeffery Simmons

Jeffery Simmons is 29 years old [1]. The Tennessee Titans drafted the Mississippi State defensive lineman 19th overall in 2019 [5], and their June 2026 extension announcement calls him a five-time captain [2]. NFL.com now reports that the Chicago Bears are acquiring him in a trade [3].

From Mississippi State to the Titans

Simmons was born Jeffery Bernard Simmons Jr. on 28 July 1997, in Lasalle, Louisiana, according to his Titans bio [1]. The same page calls him a Macon, Mississippi, native [1], so his birthplace and his hometown are different places. Wikidata gives his birthplace as LaSalle Parish [4].

He played college football at Mississippi State [1], and the Titans list him at 6-4 and 305 pounds [1]. In April 2019 the Titans chose him in the first round with the 19th overall pick [5]. The team's draft article is dated 25 April 2019 [5]. General manager Jon Robinson said he was "just really excited about the ability that he has" [5]. The team said it thought he would be "a big difference-maker for years to come" [5].

Teammate DaQuan Jones said of Simmons's first season: "He came in and wrecked shop" [8]. Before his second season, in August 2020, Simmons told the Titans' website that he wanted to "be a very disruptive guy in the middle of the pocket, affect the quarterback and all of that" [8]. He added: "I'm just trying to be the best Jeffery Simmons I can be" [8].

Pressure, snaps and rotation

NFL.com reported that in every season in which he has played at least 15 games, Simmons has also played at least 750 snaps [7]. In 2025 he generated 60 quarterback pressures and 11 sacks, according to the same report [7]. Earlier, NFL.com's 2024 profile counted 27.5 sacks from the start of his second season in 2020, and ranked him seventh among NFL defensive tackles over that span [6]. That profile called him a two-time Pro Bowler [6].

The scheme asks more of him. NFL.com wrote that Saleh "wants his DTs to penetrate, split doubles and be disruptive in the backfield" [7]. The same article said that "even in schemes that don't exactly put defensive tackles in prime positions to make plays, Simmons was a disruptor" [7]. NFL.com added that the plan "should unleash Simmons" [7]. Simmons himself said at minicamp: "I want to have that mindset of, 'Nah, coach, I could go for more,' or whatever it may be" [7].

NFL.com put his contract at a $35.276 million per-year average, and wrote that this made him "head-and-shoulders above the rest of the interior rushers" [7].

The Titans also planned to use more rotation to keep him fresh for key moments [7]. Coach Robert Saleh said during minicamp that "the whole point of the rotation is to make sure that Jeffrey Simmons is ready for that one-on-one when we need it" [7]. He added: "If he's able to go to 50 plays out of 60, he's not doing it right" [7].

Honors and the 2026 extension

On 19 June 2026 the Titans announced a multi-year contract extension with Simmons [2]. NFL.com put the deal at three years and $105.8 million [3].

The Titans describe him as a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time captain and a three-time Community Man of the Year winner [2]. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2025, after second-team honors in 2021 and 2022 [2].

Community work

NFL.com's 2024 nominee profile says Simmons was a second-time nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award [6]. The same profile records a $50,000 donation to Noxubee Titans [6]. It also says the first Jeffery Simmons Youth Football Camp, held in Starkville, Mississippi, in 2024, hosted more than 500 youth [6].

The profile says the Give 'Em a Reason Foundation is the long-term legacy Simmons hopes to leave [6].

The trade to Chicago

NFL.com reports that the Bears are acquiring defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans [3]. According to the report, the Titans would receive 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-round pick, while the Bears would also receive a 2028 fifth-round selection [3].

The same NFL.com article describes his 2025 season as his fourth-career Pro Bowl selection and his first-career first-team All-Pro honor [3].