Tennessee Titans: Jeffery Simmons not being ruled out for 53-man roster
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is not ruling out that defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons could be on the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Perhaps the most interesting news to come out of head coach Mike Vrabel’s press conference prior to the Tennessee Titans’ practice on Friday is that he isn’t ruling out defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons from being on the initial 53-man roster.
Simmons has been recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in February, and it was obviously assumed he would not begin the season on the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Well, hold your horses on that notion, as the Titans head coach didn’t rule out Simmons being part of the initial 53, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
Vrabel on @GrindSimmons94: His recovery has been really, really good. Not ruling him out being on the initial 53-man roster. @Titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 30, 2019
According to Erik Bacharach of The Tennesseean, Vrabel also said Simmons’ progress is ahead of schedule.
Mike Vrabel with an encouraging update on Jeffery Simmons: “His progression has been really, really good.” Adds that he’s much further along than the average person returning from an ACL tear.
— Erik Bacharach (@ErikBacharach) August 30, 2019
Simmons tweeted this out on Friday.
https://twitter.com/GrindSimmons94/status/1167475423149772800
Vrabel’s comment is a pretty big deal.
The original best-case scenario had Simmons returning at some point in December, with the worst-case scenario being that Simmons didn’t play at all this season.
This seems to suggest that not only will Simmons play in 2019, but he could be on the field sooner rather than later.
One of the few questions on defense for the Titans has been on the defensive line. The Titans drafted Simmons with the long term in mind, but also with the idea that he could be the big boost this team needs upfront this season.
If Simmons can come back sooner than expected, the Titans will be getting a talented lineman who was thought to be a top-10 pick prior to his injury. The Titans got him at No. 19 overall.
Simmons is both a solid run-stuffer and a guy who can get to the quarterback. He covers two areas of need in one for the Titans.
We don’t want to jump to any conclusions at this point, but the big man from Mississippi State might be closer to returning than any of us ever imagined.