Anytime you get out in front of the market when it comes to a big-money contract, you're winning in today's NFL. The Tennessee Titans got out in front of the defensive tackle market with the massive payday they gave to defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and that has set off a bit of a chain reaction around the league.
After seeing Simmons get a huge contract, teams like the Green Bay Packers gave the bag to Devonte Wyatt, and the Bucs are now dealing with the aftermath of the Simmons deal with Vita Vea undoubtedly wanting to be paid accordingly. But the Philadelphia Eagles took it upon themselves to reset the recently reset market with a massive extension for their star defensive tackle.
Jalen Carter, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been the subject of a lot of rumors and speculation in recent months, but the Eagles washed that all away by giving him a massive four-year deal worth $152 million with the potential to reach $160 million.
With $106 million in guaranteed cash, Carter is now the highest-paid defensive tackle in league history, making the Titans' extension for Simmons look like a total steal.
Titans' foresight with Jeffery Simmons looks like a stroke of genius after Jalen Carter's new deal
It wasn't that long ago that the Titans made Simmons the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. His contract is worth a total of $105.828 million, giving Carter the edge by nearly $50 million in total money, exceeding $50 million if he reaches all of his incentives.
Once again, this is the foresight of general manager Mike Borgonzi getting out ahead of the market and striking a deal before the price tag gets out of hand. Not that Simmons and Carter are in the same stage of their NFL careers, but it's reasonable to assume that if Carter had signed this exact deal before Simmons and the Titans had agreed to an extension, it would have cost the Titans a lot more money to keep Simmons around.
In terms of on-field production, the Titans are borderline getting away with a heist. There are plenty of ways to measure pass rush productivity beyond sack numbers, but Simmons has out-performed Carter in just about every metric over the past couple of seasons.
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