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When the Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh as head coach, one player immediately came to mind: 2025 NFL first-team All-Pro Jeffery Simmons. According to ESPN's Ben Solak, Simmons and Saleh represent one of the NFL's most intriguing new coach-player pairings entering the 2026 season.
Given Simmons' skill set and Saleh's defensive philosophy, it's difficult to find a better match. For years, Simmons has been one of the league's most disruptive interior defenders. Now he'll be playing in a scheme specifically designed to let defensive linemen attack relentlessly.
That could be a dangerous combination for opposing offenses.
Throughout his coaching career, Saleh has built successful defenses around dominating the line of scrimmage. His system relies on a relentless four-man pass rush that creates pressure without excessive blitzing. That philosophy places tremendous importance on defensive tackles who can consistently collapse the pocket.
In comes what Jeffery Simmons does best. Even while regularly facing double teams, Simmons has remained among the NFL's leaders in interior pressures on quarterbacks. His combination of power, quickness, and explosiveness makes him the ideal centerpiece for Saleh's front.
The Titans also added John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson in free agency, who already understand Saleh's defensive principles from their time together with the Jets, before selecting edge rusher Keldric Faulk in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those additions should make it much more difficult for offenses to focus exclusively on Simmons. If Tennessee's edge rushers consistently win their matchups, Simmons could see more one-on-one opportunities than he has in years. And that's exactly why Solak believes this pairing is so intriguing.
The Titans already had one of football's premier defensive tackles. Now they've paired him with one of the league's most respected defensive coaches and surrounded him with a much stronger supporting cast. This season could be the year Simmons establishes himself as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate while helping transform Tennessee's defense into one of the NFL's most feared units.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Robert Saleh named a perfect match for Jeffery Simmons
Continue reading...
Given Simmons' skill set and Saleh's defensive philosophy, it's difficult to find a better match. For years, Simmons has been one of the league's most disruptive interior defenders. Now he'll be playing in a scheme specifically designed to let defensive linemen attack relentlessly.
That could be a dangerous combination for opposing offenses.
Saleh's defense is built for Simmons
Throughout his coaching career, Saleh has built successful defenses around dominating the line of scrimmage. His system relies on a relentless four-man pass rush that creates pressure without excessive blitzing. That philosophy places tremendous importance on defensive tackles who can consistently collapse the pocket.
In comes what Jeffery Simmons does best. Even while regularly facing double teams, Simmons has remained among the NFL's leaders in interior pressures on quarterbacks. His combination of power, quickness, and explosiveness makes him the ideal centerpiece for Saleh's front.
The Titans also added John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson in free agency, who already understand Saleh's defensive principles from their time together with the Jets, before selecting edge rusher Keldric Faulk in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those additions should make it much more difficult for offenses to focus exclusively on Simmons. If Tennessee's edge rushers consistently win their matchups, Simmons could see more one-on-one opportunities than he has in years. And that's exactly why Solak believes this pairing is so intriguing.
The Titans already had one of football's premier defensive tackles. Now they've paired him with one of the league's most respected defensive coaches and surrounded him with a much stronger supporting cast. This season could be the year Simmons establishes himself as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate while helping transform Tennessee's defense into one of the NFL's most feared units.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Robert Saleh named a perfect match for Jeffery Simmons
Continue reading...
