With four Pro Bowls and a recent All-Pro nod, Jeffery Simmons is building a dominant legacy. We weigh his defensive impact against the Hall's rigorous standards.
The Tennessee Titans have 17 former players and coaches in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Most of them are from the Houston Oilers, but a few overlapped with the Titans when the team moved to Nashville. The most recognizable Oilers players in the Hall of Fame are Warren Moon, Earl Campbell, and George Blanda.
Former Titans head coach Mike Munchak is in the Hall of Fame from his time as an offensive lineman with the Oilers.
Bruce Matthews played for the Houston Oilers (1983-1996), Tennessee Oilers (1997-98) and Titans (1999-2001). He stayed on the team when they changed their name to the Titans in 1999 and retired after the 2001 season.
Former Titans players like Eddie George definitely have a strong case to make it. George left the Titans as the franchise's all-time leading rusher, with 10,009 yards.
Watching the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night gave me a taste of NFL football for the first time since February. I'm sure many NFL fans felt the same way.
Then, I saw an article from CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo listing potential Hall of Fame candidates for each NFL team. For the Titans, it was obviously Jeffery Simmons.
Simmons has been the most consistent Titans player in recent history. He's made four Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career last season.
In the article, DeArdo also shared his opinion on whether or not the player he picked for each NFL team was a lock for the Hall of Fame at this point in their careers. For Simmons, he said no, mainly because it's hard for defensive linemen to make it unless you're a player like Aaron Donald.
It made me think about Simmons' body of work so far. Is Simmons worthy of being in the Hall of Fame at this point? Let's take a look at what he's done so far.
Simmons was drafted by the Titans in 2019 out of Mississippi State. He played in nine games with seven starts, accounting for 32 total tackles, two sacks and four TFLs.
He then played in 15 games the following year and put up 49 total tackles, three sacks and three TFLs. Year three was when Simmons had his breakout season.
He made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 after recording 8.5 sacks, 54 total tackles, and 12 TFLs. Simmons went to another Pro Bowl in 2022 after posting a similar stat line.
Simmons unfortunately missed time due to injury in 2023 and wasn't able to keep his Pro Bowl streak going. He bounced back in 2024 and 2025, making the Pro Bowl both years.
What was special about his 2025 season was that he may not have been 100% healthy. Simmons shared in an offseason interview that he had a procedure in February to repair his elbow, which required a brace because he couldn't fully extend it.
Simmons put together his best season last year, finishing with 11 sacks, 67 total tackles and 17 TFLs.
After examining what Simmons has done so far, I don't think he would be a Hall of Fame candidate if he retired today. However, I think he's potentially on the edge of entering that territory.
The good news about Simmons is that he is 29 years old and still has plenty of years in the NFL ahead of him. If Simmons can continue having seasons like he did last year, I think his case for the Hall of Fame will keep getting stronger, making it harder for people to leave him out of the conversation.
Plus, Simmons is now in a favorable system with head coach Robert Saleh. Saleh's 4-3 system specializes in using versatile defensive tackles like Simmons, so we may see him have an even better year in 2026.
At the moment, I don't think Simmons is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Luckily, he's got plenty of time to build up his case.
