Jeffery Simmons is under contract with the Tennessee Titans through the 2030 NFL season.
On June 19, 2026, the star defensive tackle signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension that stacked three new years on top of the two still left on his previous deal.
That gives Tennessee control of him for five seasons, 2026 through 2030, and keeps him out of unrestricted free agency until 2031.
If you searched for the “Jeffrey Simmons contract,” you are in the right place. His name is officially spelled Jeffery, but fans type it both ways, and the answer is the same either way: Big Jeff is staying in Nashville for a long time, and he is being paid like no defensive tackle before him.
Below, we break down how long the deal runs, what it pays each year, why the Titans made the commitment, and what could change before it expires.
Jeffery Simmons Contract at a Glance
The short version: Simmons is signed for five more seasons, and the Titans have already guaranteed most of the money. Here are the key terms of the deal as reported when it was signed.
| Contract term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contract runs through | 2030 season |
| Seasons remaining (from 2026) | 5 (2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030) |
| New years added by extension | 3 (2028, 2029, 2030) |
| New-money value | $105.8 million |
| Average per year (new money) | About $35.27 million |
| Total guarantees | $100 million |
| Fully guaranteed at signing | $60.2 million |
| Signing bonus | $20 million |
| Total cash, 2026 to 2030 | About $150 million |
| Next free agency | 2031, as an unrestricted free agent |
That $35.27 million yearly average made Simmons the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
It passed the previous record of $31.75 million per year held by Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones. Simmons also became the first defensive tackle to receive $100 million in total guarantees on a single contract.
How Simmons Got Here: From Rookie Deal to Record Extension
This is the third contract of Simmons’ career, and every one has been signed with Tennessee. The Titans drafted him 19th overall in 2019 out of Mississippi State. He likely would have gone higher, but he tore his ACL while training for the draft that February.
His path to the 2030 deal looks like this:
- 2019 rookie contract: four years and about $12.66 million. The Titans later picked up his fifth-year option for 2023 at $10.753 million.
- April 2023 extension: four years and $94 million, about $23.5 million per year, with a $24 million signing bonus. That deal ran through the 2027 season.
- June 2026 extension: three new years and $105.8 million, pushing his contract through 2030.
When the 2026 extension was signed, Simmons still had two years left on his 2023 deal. Tennessee did not wait for him to reach a contract year. Instead, general manager Mike Borgonzi tore up the final years and gave him a raise of almost $12 million per season.
The timing followed the best season of his career. In 2025, Simmons posted a career-high 11 sacks, which led all defensive tackles. He added 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, 60 pressures and three forced fumbles, and earned his first first-team All-Pro selection.
Year-by-Year Breakdown of the Simmons Contract
The headline numbers only tell part of the story. Here is how the money is scheduled across the five seasons, based on the contract details reported after signing.
| Season | Age | Cash paid | Main pieces | Guarantee status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29 | $33 million | $20M signing bonus + $13M base salary | Fully guaranteed |
| 2027 | 30 | $27.2 million | $21.45M base + $5.5M option bonus + $250K workout bonus | Fully guaranteed |
| 2028 | 31 | $29.8 million | $27.05M base + $2.5M roster bonus + $250K workout bonus | Injury-guaranteed; fully guaranteed in March 2027 |
| 2029 | 32 | About $28 million | $22.25M base + $5.5M roster bonus + $250K workout bonus | $10M injury-guaranteed; fully guaranteed in March 2028 |
| 2030 | 33 | $32 million | $30.75M base + $1M roster bonus + $250K workout bonus | Not guaranteed |
The first two seasons add up to the $60.2 million that was fully guaranteed on day one. Once the 2028 money vests in March 2027, the practical guarantee climbs to $90 million. The extra $10 million in 2029 brings the total to the $100 million figure that grabbed headlines.
For salary cap purposes, Simmons counts roughly $22 million against Tennessee’s 2026 cap. The signing bonus is spread across the life of the deal, which keeps his early cap hits lower than his cash pay. Notably, the contract has no per-game active roster bonuses, so Simmons is not docked money for games he misses.
Why the Titans Locked Up Simmons Through 2030
Tennessee paid Simmons because he is the one proven star on a rebuilding roster. The franchise is building around young quarterback Cam Ward and its 2026 first-round picks, Carnell Tate and Keldric Faulk.
Simmons gives that young core a veteran anchor on defense who is under contract for just as long.
His résumé backs up the price tag. Since 2019, he has started 97 of 99 regular-season games, which makes him one of the more durable players at a punishing position.
Through seven seasons, he has 383 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 275 quarterback pressures and 65 tackles for loss.
The honors stack up too:
- Four Pro Bowl selections
- First-team All-Pro in 2025
- Five-time team captain
- Three-time Titans Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee
In 2025, he also broke Jurrell Casey’s record for the most sacks in a season by a Titans defensive tackle since 1999. He is one of only five players in franchise history with at least five sacks in five straight seasons.
New head coach Robert Saleh plans to use him in an aggressive, attacking front. Saleh has also said he wants to trim Simmons’ snap count so he stays fresh for third downs and two-minute drives.
For a player signed into his early 30s, that kind of workload management could help the Titans get full value from the back end of the deal.
Could the Contract End Early?
On paper, Simmons is signed through 2030. In practice, the deal is built with a firm core and a flexible final year.
The first three seasons, 2026 through 2028, are effectively locked in at about $90 million. The 2029 season carries $10 million in protection, which becomes fully guaranteed in March 2028.
The 2030 season has no guarantees at all, and contract trackers estimate the Titans could move on before that year with only about $4 million in dead money.
That structure leaves a few possible outcomes:
- He plays out the full deal. Simmons would hit unrestricted free agency in 2031, after his age-33 season.
- Tennessee releases or trades him before 2030. The low dead-cap hit makes this a realistic option if his play declines.
- Another extension or restructure. Teams often rework star contracts to create cap space, which could push his end date even further out.
A trade before 2028 looks unlikely. The Titans just made Simmons the face of their defense, and the guaranteed money makes moving him costly. For now, he remains active and on the field for Tennessee in the 2026 season after an offseason elbow procedure.
The Bottom Line
So, how long is Jeffery Simmons under contract? He is signed with the Tennessee Titans through the 2030 season, five full years from 2026, thanks to the three-year, $105.8 million extension he signed in June 2026.
The deal makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history and the first at his position with $100 million in guarantees. Most of that money is protected through 2028, while 2029 and 2030 give the Titans some room to adjust as he ages.
Unless Tennessee reworks or ends the deal early, Simmons will not be a free agent until 2031. For Titans fans, that means Big Jeff should be wearing No. 98 in Nashville for the rest of his prime.
