The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans are trending in two different directions. While the Ravens lured Derrick Henry away from Tennessee in their attempt to chase a championship, Jeffery Simmons and the Titans will begin a rebuild behind new coach Brian Callahan and quarterback Will Levis.
Simmons and the Ravens don't exactly have the best history with each other. Ravens legend Marshal Yanda accused Simmons of spitting in his face during Baltimore's 2019 AFC Championship Game loss. While Simmons was never disciplined and never proven to have done it, he certainly was not a fan favorite.
Simmons, who saw his Titans lose 24-16 to the Ravens last year, went from a mild irritant to one of Baltimore's Most Wanted with his comments on The Rich Eisen Show. Simmons doesn't seem too fond of his old teammate Henry leaving him to join a contender in Baltimore, and he's not afraid to let his feelings on the situation be heard.
In the same interview where he called out Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams for wearing painted nails during games, Simmons called Henry's purple Ravens jersey a "purple tutu" in a comment that is not going to sit well with Baltimore fans.
Titans DT Jeffery Simmons refers to Derrick Henry's #Ravens uniform as his "purple tutu" 🍿
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) June 26, 2024
via @RichEisenShow pic.twitter.com/YByCTiYjZE
Jeffery Simmons trash-talks Derrick Henry after joining Ravens
The only way Simmons could get out of this is if he claims he meant to say "2-2" in reference to Henry's number. However, it would be naive to assume that's where he was going with this, as Simmons didn't take the opportunity to clarify his statement when pressed about it.
While Baltimore doesn't play Tennessee this season, and it seems unlikely that the Titans will make it to the postseason this year, Henry could still exact his revenge on his old teammate if they link up next season. Perhaps Simmons can see how difficult it is to tackle Henry at full game speed.
Not only will defensive linemen like Simmons have to contend with Henry (who has been able to largely delay the effects of age on a formidable running back), but they also have to slow down and MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson. Ravens fans will tip their cap to any defensive coordinator who can successfully bridle these two stallions.
Even though the two teams may not face off this season, Henry and the rest of his new fanbase can go into the season knowing it would take an act of football God for the Titans to have a better record than the Ravens this season.