Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons no doubt got plenty of calls following the news of his four-year, $94 million contract extension — and one of those calls came from former Titans and current Philadelphia Eagles wideout, A.J. Brown.
During his press conference on Wednesday that officially announced his new deal, Simmons revealed that Brown reached out to congratulate him on the contract extension.
“A.J. is a good friend, and a hell of a player,” Simmons said. “He congratulated me, and I appreciate that.”
Brown and Simmons both grew up in Mississippi and have been friends since their respective childhoods. They also came out of college in the same year and were part of Tennessee’s impressive 2019 draft class.
.@GrindSimmons94 said childhood friend and former teammate @1kalwaysopen_ reached out to him after hearing of his extension with the #Titans. "A.J. is a good friend, and a hell of a player. He congratulated me, and I appreciate that."
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) April 12, 2023
Unfortunately, Brown didn’t get a second contract like Simmons did, which remains a travesty and one of the true black clouds that hangs over this franchise, especially after his sensational 2022 campaign with Philly.
Thankfully, Titans fans won’t have to go through a similar situation with Simmons, who is locked in through 2027 when you include his fifth-year option in 2023.