The Tennessee Titans exercised the fifth-year option of star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons’ rookie contract on Wednesday.
The move guarantees Simmons will earn $10.75 million in 2023.
Simmons posted a career-best 8.5 sacks in 2021 while making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He tacked on 12 tackles for loss (of 54 overall) and six pass breakups and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Simmons also had a monster playoff outing against the Cincinnati Bengals with three sacks despite the Titans being upset in the AFC Divisional round clash.
Overall, the 24-year-old Simmons has 13.5 sacks, 135 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 12 passes defensed in 41 NFL games (39 starts) over three seasons.
Simmons was the 19th overall pick out of Mississippi State in the 2019 NFL Draft.