What happened: The Tennessee Titans and Jeffery Simmons agreed to a three-year, $105.8 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. The deal locks in the interior anchor of the Titans defense as the team heads into the 2026 season. Simmons has been the centerpiece of that front for years.

Why it matters: Premium interior disruptors who can wreck a pocket from the inside are the rarest commodity on a defense, and Tennessee already knows what it has in Simmons. Paying your own homegrown star at the top of the market is far less risky than gambling on the open market to replace him. The number sets a new bar, but elite play at a thin position justifies it.