Jeffery Simmons has become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackle after agreeing a three-year contract extension worth $105.8m with the Tennessee Titans, a deal that underlines his status as the cornerstone of the franchise’s rebuilding plans.

According to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the agreement includes $100m guaranteed and carries an average annual value of $35.3m, eclipsing the previous benchmark for the position set by Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones at $31.8m. The Titans later confirmed the extension, ensuring one of the league’s premier interior defenders remains in Nashville well into the future.

“Tennessee has become a second home for me,” Simmons said in a statement released by the club. “From day one, this organisation believed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to pour into this franchise and community. I want to thank God, my family, my team-mates, Ms. Amy [Adams Strunk] and the entire Titans organisation for believing in me.

“My job isn’t finished. I believe in this locker room and this staff, and I’m focused on helping this team get back to competing for championships.”

The new deal comes after the finest season of Simmons’ seven-year career. The 28-year-old earned first-team All-Pro honours for the first time in 2025 after posting career highs with 11 sacks, 60 quarterback pressures, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, while adding a fourth Pro Bowl selection.

His 11 sacks established a new Titans-era record for a defensive tackle, surpassing Jurrell Casey’s previous mark of 10.5 set in 2013. According to the club, Simmons and Aaron Donald are the only defensive tackles over the last decade to record at least 10 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defended in a single season.

General manager Mike Borgonzi said retaining Simmons had been a priority.

“Jeffery Simmons is a pillar for our franchise and embodies what it means to be a Titan,” Borgonzi said. “He’s the premier defensive tackle in the National Football League and you win with players like Jeffery.

“Not only is his leadership on the field what we want our programme to represent but, off the field, he sets the standard for our community. You always want to keep your best players and we accomplished that today. We’re excited for Jeffery to be here in Nashville for the long haul.”

Simmons’ influence extends beyond production. A five-time team captain and three-time Titans Community Man of the Year, he was also the club’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, reflecting a reputation that has made him one of the organisation’s most respected figures.

Selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, Simmons has amassed 383 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 65 tackles for loss and 275 quarterback pressures, while even adding two receiving touchdowns as an occasional short-yardage weapon.

His extension arrives as Tennessee attempts to climb out of last season’s 3-14 finish under first-year head coach Robert Saleh. The Titans have invested heavily on defense, adding edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II and cornerback Alontae Taylor in free agency before selecting defensive end Keldric Faulk and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr in the opening two rounds of April’s draft.

Those additions are designed to complement a defense that will continue to revolve around Simmons, whose new deal not only rewards his emergence as one of the NFL’s dominant interior disruptors, but resets the financial market for the position in the process.