Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said T’Vondre Sweat’s trade to the Jets in exchange for Jermaine Johnson caught him off guard. Simmons said Sweat called him in March, and he later spoke with General Manager Mike Borgonzi to better understand Tennessee’
Jeffery Simmons didn’t expect T’Vondre Sweat’s departure to hit the way it did. The Titans defensive tackle said Sweat caught him by surprise when Sweat called with the news in March, even though Simmons had taken on a mentorship role for a younger player he believed was ready to take a bigger step.
Simmons spoke about the moment during an appearance on CBS Sports’ Offseason Playbook. describing how the trade—Sweat to the Jets for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson—felt sudden.. “It was a surprise to me,” Simmons said.. “Just trying to get a feel for why.” He added that he viewed Sweat’s potential as something that could be pulled out through coaching and confidence. pointing to how he had tried to help Sweat believe he could become “the best nose tackle in the game of football.”
For Simmons, part of the shock came from the purpose he had already put behind Sweat’s development.. “And he’s got some potential that sometimes he doesn’t understand,” Simmons said.. “For me. that’s the reason why I’m like Sweat. you’re coming down to Dallas with me this offseason.. I wanted to pull that out of him to be able to be like ‘I have so much potential.. I can be the best nose tackle in the game of football.’ And he has the potential to do that.. I hate it, but it’s a business.”
Simmons said he called General Manager Mike Borgonzi to get more clarity on what drove the decision. He wanted a fuller explanation for why Tennessee chose to trade Sweat, a player who Simmons believed still had growth ahead of him.
Sweat was a 2024 second-round pick in Tennessee. meaning he joined the team before Borgonzi and head coach Robert Saleh were in the organization.. The new leadership group determined Johnson was a better fit for where they wanted to go. and Simmons’ comments captured the tension between what a veteran hoped to build internally and what the front office decided was the right direction.. The trade was framed as a win-win between two AFC teams that. according to Simmons’ discussion. haven’t been consistent winners in a long time.
Jeffery Simmons T’Vondre Sweat Jermaine Johnson New York Jets Tennessee Titans Mike Borgonzi Robert Saleh NFL offseason trade