Titans Star Reveals Biggest Lesson From Rough Season

It's no secret that the Tennessee Titans had a bumpy season for their 2024 season.

Posting a 3-14 record as one of the worst squads in the NFL is a rough fate for any team to endure, but with such a season in the books, it creates some solid learning experiences for several guys across the roster.

One of those guys to receive some valuable lessons across such a turbulent season was Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, someone who's been a part of a few successful years in Tennessee, but now enters a new era of his career as a veteran leader for this new regime in Nashville.

And through a rough season in Tennessee, Simmons learned what it takes to be a strong leader for the younger players entering the fold. In an interview with Jim Wyatt, the Titans veteran revealed what he thinks was one of his biggest learning moments last year: being a better communicator to the young guys.

"I think for me, I have always been a vocal guy who is able to hold guys accountable," Simmons said. "But I think one of the biggest things I learned this past season, having such a young team, is you have these guys coming out of college, some of them the best players on the team, and a lot of them didn't know how to handle maybe constructive criticism. And I know I maybe need to be better with how I deliver it."

Simmons had a productive season for the Titans despite the lack of wins on the board. He posted five sacks, 76 combined tackles, 11 TFLs, and even four passes defended on his way to a third Pro Bowl nod.

However, the improvements Simmons seeks to make ahead of next season don't lie on the field. Instead, that work starts off the field with his teammates.

"For me, it's all about: How can I approach it better in my message to get to some of the young guys because some guys don't take it as a veteran like Arden [Key] might take it," Simmons continued. "I hold myself to a high standard, so at the end of the day, it's all about: How can I be a better leader for the team? And how can I deliver my message better when I am trying to hold them accountable?"

"At the end of the day, guys know me, and they know I am a passionate player. It may come off sometimes wrong, but I hope they all know how much I care about the guys in the locker room," he said.

Simmons has a lot of gas left in the tank at only 27 years old to remain one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. Yet, for his goal to get Tennessee back to a level of competition, he has to lead this budding unit in the right way.

Thankfully for Titans fans, he seems more than accepting of making that happen.

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