Tennessee Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons loved playing under Mike Vrabel. Still, he was caught off guard when his former coach led the New England Patriots to an AFC championship in his first season with the team.
"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?"
He added, "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 was Simmons' head coach when he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2019. Vrabel helped lead Tennessee to the conference title game in Simmons' rookie season and the AFC's No. 1 seed in 2021. However, the Titans lost in the divisional round after securing a 12-5 record that year and never returned to the playoffs during Vrabel's tenure.
Vrabel was fired following the 2023 campaign with a 13-21 record in his final two years with the club. The Titans then went 4-19 under Brian Callahan and fired him six games into last season. They named Saleh their new coach in January.
Saleh and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll are tasked with developing quarterback Cam Ward. The former first overall pick showed flashes as a rookie but finished the 2025 campaign 31st of 33 qualifying signal-callers 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 was rewarded with a three-year, $105.8-million extension in June and is now the league's highest-paid defensive tackle. The 28-year-old led all defensive tackles last year in pressures (64) and sacks (11) while earning first-team All-Pro honors.
The Titans will report to training camp July 28 and face off against the New York Jets on Sept. 13 in their season opener.
