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Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
The list of accolades and recognition for standout Tennessee Titans defender Jeffery Simmons has only continued to grow ahead of the 2026 season, and there’s a new headliner for that.
Over the weekend, Simmons earned major recognition as he was voted the NFL’s top interior defensive lineman by an eight-person AP panel. The panel ranked the top five players in the category, with Simmons coming out on top of a list that featured a lot of heralded names.
Looking at the final count, Simmons received four first-place votes and took the lead spot with a combined 53 points.
Tennessee Titans Defensive Standout Jeffery Simmons Headlines Impressive List
Behind him were Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), with three first-place votes and 39 points, Quinnen Williams (Dallas Cowboys), Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Dexter Lawrence (Cincinnati Bengals), in that order.
Those who did not make the cut, but still received votes, were Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles), Leonard Williams (Seattle Seahawks), Zach Allen (Denver Broncos), Kobie Turner (Los Angeles Rams), and DeForest Buckner (Indianapolis Colts).
While this was highly competitive, as illustrated by the way the final votes were split up, it’s easy to see why Simmons reigned king in this one, and why he’s gotten so much love from the media over this offseason.
Jeffery Simmons Continues To Be One Of The Biggest Bright Spots For the Tennessee Titans
Looking at every player on the Tennessee Titans roster — offense, defense and special teams all considered — Simmons has easily been one of the most reliable and most important players to the team’s success for many years.
Simmons, who was originally selected by the Titans at No. 19 overall in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, has amassed a number of milestones in Nashville. The veteran out of Mississippi State has shown everyone why he was considered a top-five talent, though teams were initially leery of him in the pre-draft process because of his injury history.
He’s been key to the Titans’ pass rush throughout the entirety of his professional career, recently putting a cherry on top of it all with a career-high 11 sacks during the 2025 season. So, if there was any concern about Simmons declining any time soon because of his age, that should take a lot of the worry away from fans and analysts.
Over seven seasons, all spent with the Titans, the four-time Pro Bowler has put together 376 combined tackles (219 solo), 42.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and 27 passes defended over 99 games.
Despite playing defense, Simmons has also made his way to the end zone twice in his professional career, with one touchdown during the 2023 season and another during the 2025 season.
Simmons finished out his latest season with 67 total tackles (39 solo), 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three passes defended. Over the past five season specifically, Simmons has registered 37 1/2 sacks, with at least five sacks per season over that time span.
Needless to say, he should be a force to be reckoned with once more for the opponents who lie on the Titans’ 2026 schedule.