Jeffery Simmons didn’t hide how he felt watching Mike Vrabel make an immediate splash in New England.
The Titans defensive tackle said he was stunned when his former coach guided the Patriots to an AFC championship in his first season there, and he made it clear the reaction came with a little envy mixed in.
"Man, I think we all would be surprised if this guy, first year in New England, they go straight to the Super Bowl," Simmons said on Terron Armstead's podcast. "First off, I'm jealous as hell.
Like what? I was just with you four years, and you couldn't get me to the Super Bowl?"
Simmons went on to explain why Vrabel has always connected so well with players. In his view, it starts away from the field.
"It's the same with (Titans head coach Robert Saleh): When you can build a relationship with your players off the football field and not just when you touch that football field, they're going to play as hard as they can for you. That's what Vrabel brings, bro. He just brings that type of energy and that type of, 'I know I'm not your dad, but I'm going to do everything possible to make you feel safe with me.'"
Vrabel coached Simmons after Tennessee took him in the first round in 2019. The Titans reached the conference title game in Simmons’ rookie year and earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021, but they fell in the divisional round after finishing 12-5 and never got back to the playoffs while Vrabel was still on the sideline.
Vrabel’s time in Tennessee ended after the 2023 season, when the Titans were 13-21 over his final two years. The franchise then went 4-19 under Brian Callahan, who was dismissed six games into last season. Tennessee hired Saleh in January.
Now Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll are charged with getting quarterback Cam Ward on track. Ward, the former first overall pick, had moments that hinted at what he could become as a rookie, but he finished the 2025 season 31st among 33 qualifying quarterbacks in passer rating, according to TruMedia.
"He can feel and he can see the doubt, that everyone keeps doubting him," Simmons said of Ward. "I mean, you got some guys calling him a bust. ...
"Year 2 Cam Ward going to be what everyone don't really expect, but it's going to be ... one of them things that Cam, we knew that was you all along."
Simmons has his own fresh payday, too. In June, he landed a three-year, $105.8-million extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackle. He backed up that status last season by leading all defensive tackles in pressures with 64 and sacks with 11 while earning first-team All-Pro honors.
The Titans are set to report to training camp on July 28, and they open the season Sept. 13 against the New York Jets.
In Other News...
Titans Camp Battle Could Quietly Decide Robert Salehs Defense
Training camp is about to sort out more than just the Titans depth chart. Under Robert Saleh, the competition at right guard has become one of the quieter but more consequential battles on the roster, with Jackson Slater and Cordell Volson both in the mix as the team tries to stabilize the interior and keep the offense on schedule. It is the kind of job fight that can shape how a line functions long before the regular season starts.
The same is true on the edge, where the spot opposite Jermaine Johnson II is expected to draw real attention once camp gets rolling. Femi Oladejo and Jacob Martin headline that group, with rookie Keldric Faulk also expected to factor in, and the way Saleh parcels out those snaps should tell a lot about how he sees the front seven taking shape. For a defense built on pressure and rotation, those decisions may end up carrying more weight than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
Former Titans Star Left Stunned By Travis Kelce Friendship Snub
The celebrity-heavy wedding scene around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had plenty of NFL representation, with names like George Kittle and Matthew Stafford showing up with family in tow. For former Titans lineman Taylor Lewan and ex-Titans linebacker Will Compton, though, the guest list brought a different kind of attention, since both had long considered themselves part of Kelces circle and expected to be in the mix for a day that blended football fame with pop-star spectacle.
Lewan sounded genuinely taken aback when the invitations didnt come his way, openly questioning what he might be doing wrong after seeing who was there. Compton had a similar reaction, saying he was flabbergasted while reacting to the photos and even noting Dean Blandinos presence, a reminder that the guest list was full of surprises even before the Titans duo realized they were on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Finally Have The Camp Battle Their Secondary Needed
The Titans added another piece to their secondary on March 12, signing Joshua Williams to a two-year contract after four seasons with the Chiefs. For a cornerback room that has spent too much time shuffling bodies because of injuries, Williams arrives as the kind of steady, experienced depth every defense wants but not every defense can find.
What makes him especially relevant in Tennessee is the role he can fill behind Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott at boundary corner. Williams brings size, special teams value and the sort of flexibility that can help a coaching staff keep its options open if the camp competition gets tight, and the Titans will be watching closely to see whether he can turn that backup job into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]