Jeffery Simmons chokes back tears after Titans’ season ends: ‘I’ve battled through so much (bleep)’
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Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons struggled to choke back tears after Saturday’s season-ending loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Titans fell 20-16 in the win-or-go-home regular-season finale to the Jaguars, ending the season on a seven-game losing streak. In the locker room after the game, Simmons was addressing what this team means to him after battling through injuries, the firing of general manager Jon Robinson and the losing streak.
“We fighters, man; personally I’ve battled through so much (expletive), man. I’ve been shooting my ankle up since (Week 8), man,” Simmons said after the game. “These guys in the locker room, I love them. No matter what, I wanted to be on the field. I’ll figure out this offseason what I can do better, but these guys meant so much to me. I just wanted to be on the field, hurting; I didn’t care; so I’m a fighter; I’m a warrior. I give it all to my guys because that’s how much I love them in this locker room. I appreciate these boys so much. We’ll find a way next year, be better as a team and figure it out.”
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Simmons missed only two games this season – in Week 10 and then the penultimate game against the Dallas Cowboys. Simmons finished with one tackle against the Jaguars. He recorded with 55 tackles, including 7.5 sacks this season, ranking first and second, respectively, in his four-year career.
Simmons was the Titans’ 19th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Mississippi State and is due for a contract extension this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jeffery Simmons chokes back tears after Titans’ season ends: ‘I’ve battled through so much (bleep)’