Two Titans Make Top 100 'Real NFL MVP' Candidates List

Even though the Tennessee Titans only won three games this year, they still had two very impactful players who entered the NFL Top 100 list.

ESPN's Seth Walder put together a list of the Top 100 "real NFL MVP candidates" for the 2025 season which included defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and guard Peter Skoronski.

Simmons season speaks for itself, but Skoronski doesn't get enough credit for what he did on the field this year. Tennessee's offensive line was far from great, but the Titans 2023 No. 11 overall pick held his own.

Now that the team has hired a defensive minded head coach in Robert Saleh, the former New York Jets head coach must be foaming at the mouth seeing Simmons nearly crack the Top 10.

No. 13 Jeffery Simmons

Titans DT Jeffery Simmon — Dec 28, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) celebrates a tackle during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Even though the team was 3-14, Simmons has been earning the respect he deserves. This was by far the best season of the 28-year-old's career and he's a staple of a Titans team that seems to be trending in the right direction.

"Simmons' career was quite successful entering 2025, but he had never earned first-team All-Pro honors and always was in the shadow of Aaron Donald and/or Chris Jones. But this season, Simmons was the league's best defensive tackle, a lonely bright spot on the 3-14 Titans," Walder wrote.

He added, "Simmons recorded a 15% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (second best at the position behind Jones) along with 11.0 sacks and 12.0 team sacks created. That he accomplished this on the Titans makes it even more impressive. Because Tennessee was always behind, Simmons had far fewer pure pass-rush opportunities against opponents in desperate passing situations compared with many of his peers."

Other than wide receiver/kick returner Chimere Dike, Simmons is the only Titans player to make the Pro Bowl and receiver any sort of overwhelming praise this season.

No. 84 Peter Skoronski

Titans OT Peter Skoronsk — Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (77) exits the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 13 to No. 84 is quite the drop-off, but the Titans even having two players on this list is a sign that things aren't nearly as bad as they once were.

A few years ago, the Titans were one win away from the Super Bowl. Now, they're tasked with rebounding off back to back 3-14 seasons with an offensive line that gave up the most sacks in the NFL.

Thankfully for soon to be second year quarterback Cam Ward, he has nothing to worry about with Skoronski. A guy like JC Latham comes with room for concern, but Skoronski is one of, if not the main reason this team's run-game came back alive in their final few games.

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