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Fans must face potential harsh reality of Titans' defensive star's future

ByBrandon Ray|
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Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Rebuilding a team in the NFL is never easy, but it can be one of the rewarding things if done properly. The Tennessee Titans are going to be approaching that stage with a new head coach in Robert Saleh, along with second-year general manager Mike Borgonzi. 

Most teams that are in a rebuild don’t have stability at quarterback. The Titans surely do with Cam Ward. All they need to do is build around him. Even though Tennessee has a ton of resources with cap space and draft picks to do so, they may also be in the business of gaining more picks and cap space if they decide to part ways with their best player.

Alex Ballentine from Bleacher Report put together each team’s top trade assets and to no surprise, Jeffery Simmons was on there for the Titans. It might be a non-negotiable for Borgonzi, but there's no doubt that trading Simmons would net the Titans a ton of draft capital. Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard were also on the list.

Jeffery Simmons listed as trade asset should be no surprise (no matter how much it may hurt)

"Let's start with the most controversial. Jeffery Simmons is an All-Pro talent coming off a career-high 11 sacks. He's the Titans' best overall player right now, and Robert Saleh is all about having a dominant defensive line. However, Simmons is the kind of defensive lineman who could command a trade package like the one the Jets just got for Quinnen Williams (a 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, and Mazi Smith)." said Ballentine.

Simmons is right in the middle of his prime and his trade value may be the highest it will ever be. He is coming off an 11-sack season and has registered 42.5 career sacks. In three of his last five seasons, Simmons has had over 7 sacks which is extremely impressive as a true defensive lineman.

When the Jets traded Quinnen Williams and got back a haul from Dallas, you could easily argue that Simmons could get the same package, just like Ballentine said, if not more. 

The Titans are rebuilding. Trading Simmons is probably a non-conversation starter for a defensive-minded head coach like Saleh. While it's true that trading Simmons would net the Titans a haul of draft picks, they are more likely to sign him to a contract extension this offseason.

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