The Titans and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons came to agreement on a contract extension earlier this year and the deal has shifted Simmons’ mindset for the coming season.
Simmons shed light on how that’s changed during a Wednesday press conference from the team’s facility. He said that he spent the last four years working to show he is worth the kind of investment the Titans made in him and that he no longer feels he has to prove what he’s capable of doing on the field.
“My goal this year is not to try and prove who I am,” Simmons said, via the team’s website. “My goal is: How can I be better than I was last year? Especially health-wise. I wasn’t 100 percent [last year]. I want to go into this season down in my weight, and I want to be able to be consistent with that. I want to be consistent with my technique and my fundamentals, and consistent with my leadership – that’s what I have to prove to this team. I am not trying to prove, ‘I am better than this guy in this league.’ … This organization knows who I am as a player, and that’s why we came to an agreement. At this point in my career, it’s just, ‘How can I be more consistent with my play?”
Simmons’ new contract is a good sign that the Titans believe he can reach those goals and become the leader of a defense they hope can get them back to the playoffs sooner rather than later.