The Titans’ decision to send Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears on Thursday sent a jolt through the league, but the bigger story may be how Tennessee handled the fallout in Week 8.
Mike Borgonzi did not make the move lightly. Simmons was viewed as part of the team’s long-term future, but the combination of Tennessee’s record and the offer on the table made the deal too hard to pass up. And with the Nov. 10 trade deadline still ahead, the Titans may not be finished dealing.
That reality has only sharpened the question hanging over the rest of the season: what does this say about Robert Saleh?
Tennessee entered the year with real hope of bouncing back from back-to-back three-win seasons, but that optimism has faded fast. The Titans now look headed for a third straight rough finish, and the rest of the schedule figures to be a slog. What remains to be seen is whether Saleh can keep the group together through it.
His first answer came against Cincinnati, and it was a strong one.
Plenty of people expected the Titans to get steamrolled after the Simmons trade. Instead, they pushed the Bengals into an instant classic before falling 43-36 in overtime. Tennessee matched Cincinnati punch for punch and never looked like a team that had checked out.
That matters because Saleh’s reputation has long rested on more than defensive acumen. He has been praised for his leadership and for maintaining locker-room culture, which helped earn him another head-coaching shot and brought several familiar faces with him to Tennessee.
Solomon Thomas, who has a long relationship with Saleh and joined the Titans in March, previously backed up that idea, saying that Saleh never lost the locker room when they were together with the New York Jets.
Now the challenge is even bigger. Simmons was not only the face of the franchise, he was the last player on the roster still giving the team a clear identity and a sense of legitimacy. With him gone, Borgonzi and Saleh have pointed to other players who can step into larger roles, but nobody is replacing what Simmons meant to the team.
That leaves Saleh with the job of keeping the room steady and the effort high. Some younger players may grow into leadership roles over time, but for the rest of this season, the burden falls on the head coach to hold everything together.
So far, the signs have been encouraging. Several Titans games have been competitive despite the 1-7 record, and the team reportedly had a very successful practice just hours after the Simmons trade. That kind of response reflects well on Saleh and on the state of the locker room.
The contrast with Brian Callahan is hard to miss. If Callahan were still in charge, the Titans would almost certainly look like a team that had packed it in. Saleh was brought in to prevent exactly that.
Against the Bengals, Tennessee showed the kind of fight and heart that can still matter even in a lost season. For Saleh, that response said plenty.
In Other News...
Titans Sent A Clear Message About Jeffery Simmons After His Trade
Jeffery Simmons departure to Chicago did not go unnoticed in Tennessee, and the Titans made sure of that in their next game. The defensive line showed up with red sleeves as a nod to the veteran tackle, a small but visible tribute to a player who had become a central figure in the room and on the field.
Solomon Thomas spoke about Simmons impact on the team and the gesture that followed his trade, underscoring how much respect he had earned inside the building. For a defense trying to move forward without one of its defining voices, the tribute said plenty about the standard Simmons left behind and the void the Titans now have to fill. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Trade Drama Just Took A Wild Jeffery Simmons Turn
Trade chatter around Jeffery Simmons took an unusual turn when Giants coach John Harbaugh confirmed he reached out directly to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk about a possible deal. The move came after New York reportedly was not getting anywhere through Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi, which pushed Harbaugh to try a different route as the sides explored whether there was any real traction on the defensive tackle.
Harbaugh also made clear he has no interest in following any unwritten etiquette that might keep coaches from picking up the phone on matters like this, saying he would make similar calls again if needed. For Tennessee, it adds another layer to a situation already worth watching, since Simmons remains the kind of player who can alter a defense and draw interest even when the usual front-office path is not producing movement. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rebuild Just Put Jacob Martin At The Center Of A Debate
Jacob Martins best game of the season came in a loss that only sharpened the bigger conversation around the Titans direction. In the overtime defeat to Cincinnati, the edge rusher piled up three sacks and nine quarterback pressures, the kind of disruptive night that stands out even on a team sitting at 1-7 and deep in a rebuilding stretch.
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, Martin has suddenly become one of the more interesting names on Tennessees roster. The Titans have already shown a willingness to move pieces as they sort through the future, and a productive pass rusher on a struggling team naturally draws attention, even if no deal has been confirmed. [Read more 🡒]