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Sometime between the end of minicamp this week and the Tennessee Titans' 2026 season opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 13, Robert Saleh owes Jeffery Simmons a conversation about playing time.
The Titans coach said the two haven't talked yet about Simmons' role in the defensive line rotation as the team's star defensive lineman. But Saleh wants to concentrate on quality, not quantity, for Simmons' snap count in 2025 with an emphasis on being a pass-rushing game wrecker.
"If there’s a 60-play game, and Jeffery plays 40 of them, the hope is that it was 40 (pass-rush snaps)," Saleh said on June 17 before the team's minicamp practice. "That’s the goal, to get him doing what he does. Now, he can defend the heck out of the run and he’s probably one of the better run defenders too so of course he’s going to defend the run.
"But the whole point of the rotation is to make sure that Jeffery Simmons is ready for that 1-on-1 when we need it. Third down, two-minute, he’s fresh."
GENTRY ESTES: Here's what I saw from Cam Ward (and others) at Tennessee Titans minicamp
The 28-year-old had his best statistical season in 2025, recording career-highs in sacks (11), tackles for a loss (17) and QB hits (21) en route to AP All-Pro honors.
Simmons averaged 50.9 snaps per game last season, which was 81% of the team's defensive snaps over his 15 games. According to Pro Football Reference, Simmons has played in at least 80% of defensive snaps per season when available dating back to 2020.
Looking back at Saleh's history with Pro Bowl-level defensive tackles, there have been different snap distributions. DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead regularly played more than 75% of snaps when Saleh coached them in San Francisco.
Quinnen Williams' snap count in New York hovered around 65%, more closely resembling what Saleh has envisioned for Simmons. Williams produced his best season as pro Saleh's second season with the Jets in 2022, earning All-Pro honors and Defensive Player of the Year votes while playing 43 snaps (or 65%) as an interior tackle.
"If (Simmons is) able to go 50 plays out of 60, Saleh said, "he’s not doing it right."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Titans want Jeffery Simmons to play fewer snaps in 2026
Continue reading...
The Titans coach said the two haven't talked yet about Simmons' role in the defensive line rotation as the team's star defensive lineman. But Saleh wants to concentrate on quality, not quantity, for Simmons' snap count in 2025 with an emphasis on being a pass-rushing game wrecker.
"If there’s a 60-play game, and Jeffery plays 40 of them, the hope is that it was 40 (pass-rush snaps)," Saleh said on June 17 before the team's minicamp practice. "That’s the goal, to get him doing what he does. Now, he can defend the heck out of the run and he’s probably one of the better run defenders too so of course he’s going to defend the run.
"But the whole point of the rotation is to make sure that Jeffery Simmons is ready for that 1-on-1 when we need it. Third down, two-minute, he’s fresh."
GENTRY ESTES: Here's what I saw from Cam Ward (and others) at Tennessee Titans minicamp
The 28-year-old had his best statistical season in 2025, recording career-highs in sacks (11), tackles for a loss (17) and QB hits (21) en route to AP All-Pro honors.
Simmons averaged 50.9 snaps per game last season, which was 81% of the team's defensive snaps over his 15 games. According to Pro Football Reference, Simmons has played in at least 80% of defensive snaps per season when available dating back to 2020.
Looking back at Saleh's history with Pro Bowl-level defensive tackles, there have been different snap distributions. DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead regularly played more than 75% of snaps when Saleh coached them in San Francisco.
Quinnen Williams' snap count in New York hovered around 65%, more closely resembling what Saleh has envisioned for Simmons. Williams produced his best season as pro Saleh's second season with the Jets in 2022, earning All-Pro honors and Defensive Player of the Year votes while playing 43 snaps (or 65%) as an interior tackle.
"If (Simmons is) able to go 50 plays out of 60, Saleh said, "he’s not doing it right."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Titans want Jeffery Simmons to play fewer snaps in 2026
Continue reading...
