With Jeffery Simmons secured, Tennessee must lock down their elite left guard to protect the pocket and anchor a line rebuilding around a young quarterback.
The Tennessee Titans didn't have to worry about an extension for star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons until 2027 or 2028 at the least.
However, General Manager Mike Borgonzi didn't want to wait that long to pay the NFL's best defensive tackle the money he deserved. Simmons signed a three-year, $105.9 million extension.
He just had the best season of his Titans career, and he wasn't even playing fully healthy. Simmons revealed in a press conference earlier this offseason that he had a procedure done in February to repair damage in his elbow, which he couldn't fully extend.
He had 67 total tackles, 11 sacks and 17 TFLS. He led all defensive tackles last season in sacks and TFLs.
Simmons actually snapped a long, disappointing streak for the Titans. Until him, the Titans hadn't given a first-round pick a second contract dating back to 2015.
Marcus Mariota, Jack Conklin, Corey Davis, Rashaan Evans, Adoree' Jackson, Isaiah Wilson, Caleb Farley, and Treylon Burks didn't get another contract when their rookie deals expired.
The next player whose contract is up soon is left guard Peter Skoronski, and the Titans should absolutely make it a priority to get him an extension now that Simmons has been taken care of.
Skoronski had a rough start to his NFL career with the Titans. He was a first-round pick out of Northwestern in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Before his rookie season even started, he had an emergency appendectomy. Thankfully, the procedure was a success, but he still had to get back into playing shape.
He missed three games but played the remaining 14 on the schedule. Skoronski has been a model of consistency ever since and hasn't missed a single game.
Skoronski had a breakout year in 2025, securing a 96% pass-block win rate. Signing him to a long-term deal is going to be crucial, especially with him protecting a young quarterback like Cam Ward.
The Titans let up the sixth-most sacks (56) in the NFL last season, but Skoronski was one of the bright spots between the trenches. The Titans can give Ward all the weapons in the world, but if the offensive line is bad again, it won't matter.
If the Titans do decide to give Skoronski another contract, there's the question of what that would look like. Tennessee just reset the defensive tackle market with Simmons.
Currently, the highest-paid guard in the NFL is Tyler Smith of the Dallas Cowboys. He's on a four-year, $96 million deal per Spotrac. The Titans would have to pay Skoronski upwards of $24 million per year if they want to reset the market again, but for guard.
Borgonzi didn't waste any time getting Simmons taken care of. With Skoronski up next, the guard may be getting paid sooner than later.
