The Tennessee Titans locked down Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
The Titans agreed to a four-year extension with the former first-round pick, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported, per sources informed of the situation.
Rapoport reported the new deal is worth $94 million with $66 million guaranteed and a $24 million signing bonus. Including his fifth-year option for 2023, Simmons' is under contract for $104.75 million over the next five seasons.
His $23.5 million annual salary over the course of the extension will rank second in the league among interior defensive linemen behind Aaron Donald and just ahead of Daron Payne, who signed an extension of his own in March.
ESPN's Turron Davenport first reported that Simmons and Tennessee had agreed to an extension.
Sides had been working on a long-term deal to keep the two-time Pro Bowler in Nashville as he entered the final year of his rookie contract.
After tearing his ACL while training for the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons fell to the No. 19 pick, where the Titans swooped in to snag the top-10 talent despite knowing he might not be ready for the start of his rookie season. The move was prescient, with Simmons developing into one of the NFL's top interior defenders.
Despite often being overlooked on a national level, Simmons is a wrecking ball, capable of discombobulating entire offenses. Over the past two seasons, he's generated 16 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 67 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 13 passes defended and 115 total pressures, per PFF.
While the Titans have undergone changes this offseason, new general manager Ran Carthon pegged Simmons as a cornerstone to build around. On Friday, they ensured he would remain so for the long haul.
