In March 2024, former Titans scout Blaise Taylor was arrested on suspicion that he murdered his pregnant girlfriend. The trial began earlier this week.
Via Fox 17 in Nashville, prosecutors allege that the 30-year-old Taylor poisoned Jade Benning and her unborn daughter by spiking pink lemonade with cocaine dissolved in alcohol. Benning died on March 6, 2024 — her 25th birthday. The baby died on February 27 of that same year.
Friday’s evidence included testimony from a medical examiner that Benning had high levels of cocaine in her system and no history of cocaine use.
On Thursday, a friend of Benning’s testified that Taylor made an alarming comment when discussing the preparation of the baby’s nursery.
“He told me he was going to paint a black hole,” the friend said, via WMSV 4. “I’m going to call it midnight — the further you look, the deeper you go.”
Taylor worked for the Titans from 2021 to 2023. Prosecutors seek a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Titans Clips
There’s a lot to digest in the lengthy New York Times article regarding former New York Times employee Dianna Russini.
The item, for the most part, handles a very delicate situation the right way. Still, some issues raised by the potential (or actual) conflict of interest arising from her relationship with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel didn’t get the attention they should have.
Here’s one that stands out, after re-reading the article. It relates to the 2021 trade that sent receiver Julio Jones from the Falcons to the Titans, who at the time were coached by Vrabel.
Regarding the Jones trade, the Times article says only this: “In June 2021, after breaking the story that the Atlanta Falcons had traded the wide receiver Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans, she went on television and told a story about receiving a sign while gambling at a bachelorette party in Atlantic City. ‘I’m at the roulette table on Saturday night around 11 p.m.,’ she said on ‘Get Up,’ ESPN’s weekday morning show ‘and I hit on black 11.’ Aware that Mr. Jones wore No. 11 for Atlanta, Ms. Russini recalled telling someone else in their party: ‘That’s Julio. Something’s up.’ She called her sources and confirmed her hunch. ‘I’m a witch,’ Ms. Russini said.”
There could be more to it than witchcraft or sorcery. In late April, we explored Russini’s reporting from the days preceding the Jones trade.
On May 27, 2021, Russini reported that the Falcons “have discussed several offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, including an offer of a future first-round draft pick.” The report, under a headline that proclaimed “Atlanta Falcons have offer of a 1st-round pick for Julio Jones, sources say” created a clear impression that the Falcons had an offer in hand of a first-round pick for Jones. Her report also downplayed the Titans’ chances of landing Jones, calling them a “long shot.”
As we wrote after the New York Post published photos taken in March 2020 of Russini and Vrabel in a Manhattan bar, this reporting may have helped deliver Jones to the Titans. First, by putting out word through a headline on the ESPN website that the Falcons already had been offered a first-round pick for Jones, other teams that may have offered a second-round pick could have reacted to the news by tapping out of further talks. Second, by calling the Titans a “long shot” to trade for Jones, the Titans may have been in a better position to operate unnoticed when the time came to get the deal done.
Ultimately, Jones was traded to the Titans on June 6 — not for a first-round pick but for a second- and a fourth-round pick, with a sixth-round pick also going from Atlanta to Tennessee.
Why did the Times not mention the Russini’s reporting on the upcoming Jones trade? One possible explanation would relate to the internal sensitivity regarding what the Times and The Athletic knew or should have known about the Russini-Vrabel connection before The Athletic signed her to a three-year contract worth nearly $2.4 million.
That’s one of the most overlooked aspects of the story. The Times (and, by extension, The Athletic) purport to have exacting journalistic standards. Presumably, the Times (and, by extension, The Athletic) would ensure that incoming hires have a history of reporting in a way that already meets those standards.
The more attention given now to potential irregularities predating Russini’s arrival at The Athletic opens the door to scrutiny and criticism of the The Athletic (and, by extension, the Times) regarding whether the standards that the Times Company applies to its other journalists were applied when The Athletic hoped to hire an NFL insider, as explained by Peter King at the time, “to be different, to be a subscription magnet, to tell good stories, to be a difference-maker on the NFL beat, and to break some stories.”
Is it possible that The Athletic wasn’t also looking for an NFL insider to stubbornly adhere to the high bar the Times applies to its journalists? Ignoring (or not seeking) evidence that arguably could have, or should have, put The Athletic on notice that the new hire wouldn’t be meeting or exceeding those standards could fuel the perception that, for this particular hire, The Athletic didn’t really care about that.
The Titans made it clear last week that they expect defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to continue playing at a high level.
Simmons signed a three-year, $105.8 million contract extension that puts him under contract in Tennessee through the 2030 season. The concern when signing a veteran player to a long-term deal is that they won’t be able to maintain the same level of play, but Simmons believes that the decision to hire head coach Robert Saleh will help him do more than maintain his current production.
“It’s kind of my first year playing in an attack defense,” Simmons said, via the team’s website. “That’s my game. I like to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage . . . I love this type of defense, to be able to be on the other side of the line of scrimmage each and every play. It demands you to make plays. I love this philosophy, and think it will help me make a lot more plays in the backfield, and it will help this team for sure.”
Simmons set career highs with 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss last season without playing in an “attack defense,” so the prospect of turning him loose more often is one that’s likely to lead others to match his excitement about what this shift in philosophy will mean for his productivity in 2026.
The offseason programs around the league have largely wrapped up for 2026, with players and coaches around the league now experiencing some time off.
But training camps are just a few weeks away from opening.
The NFL announced the camp report dates for all 32 teams on Monday, with the first ones opening up in less than a month.
Below are the camp locations and report dates:
Arizona Cardinals: State Farm Stadium | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans 7/22
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Baltimore Ravens: Under Armour Performance Center | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Buffalo Bills: St. John Fisher University | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Carolina Panthers: Bank of America Stadium | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/22
Chicago Bears: Halas Hall | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cincinnati Bengals: Paycor Stadium | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cleveland Browns: CrossCountry Mortgage Campus | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Dallas Cowboys: Marriott Residence Inn Oxnard | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Denver Broncos: Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans: 7/28
Detroit Lions: Meijer Performance Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Green Bay Packers: Lambeau Field | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Houston Texans: Houston Methodist Training Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Indianapolis Colts: Grand Park | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Jacksonville Jaguars: Miller Electric Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Kansas City Chiefs: Missouri Western State University | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Las Vegas Raiders: Intermountain Health Performance Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolt | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Rams: Loyola Marymount University | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/25
Miami Dolphins: Baptist Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Minnesota Vikings: TCO Performance Center | Rookies: 7/26 | Veterans: 7/28
New England Patriots: New Balance Athletics Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/24
New Orleans Saints: Ochsner Sports Performance Center | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Giants: Quest Diagnostics Training Center/The Greenbrier | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Jets: Athletic Health Jets Training Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Philadelphia Eagles: Jefferson Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Pittsburgh Steelers: Saint Vincent College | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
San Francisco 49ers: SAP Performance Facility | Rookies: 7/18 | Veterans: 7/25
Seattle Seahawks: Virginia Mason Athletic Center | Rookies: 7/17 | Veterans: 7/24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: AdventHealth Training Center | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Tennessee Titans: Vanderbilt Health Football Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Washington Commanders: Commanders Park | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
The NFL has announced the full list of joint practices that will take place during training camps this summer.
The first set of them will take place on August 11 in four different locations. The Cowboys and Rams will practice in Los Angeles, the Colts will visit the Patriots, the Bucs will work out at the Jets’ facility and the Titans will go to Santa Clara to practice with the 49ers.
All in all, there will be 28 teams working in joint sessions in August. The Lions, Steelers, Chiefs and Broncos are the teams that will not hold joint practices.
The full list of joint practices is below with the host team listed second. If there are multiple practices scheduled, the date of the first practice is listed.
August 11 — Cowboys-Rams; Colts-Patriots; Buccaneers-Jets; Titans-49ers.
August 12 — Dolphins-Commanders.
August 13 — Jaguars-Saints.
August 18 — 49ers-Chargers; Raiders-Texans; Saints-Cowboys.
August 19 — Falcons-Colts; Ravens-Vikings; Panthers-Jaguars; Eagles-Patriots.
August 20 — Bills-Browns; Bears-Bengals; Saints-Rams; Giants-Dolphins.
August 21 — Seahawks-Titans.
August 25 — Buccaneers-Jaguars.
August 26 — Cardinals-Packers; Texans-Panthers; Commanders-Ravens.
August 27 — Bears-Titans.
The Titans and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons have worked out a new deal that raises the bar, considerably, for the market at his position.
The initial reports pegged the new contract as a three-year, $105.8 million extension. That creates a new-money average of $35.2 million.
But there’s more to the deal than that, as usual. And, as usual, we’ve tracked down the complete details of what is a new five-year contract between the Titans and Simmons, who capped the 2025 season with the first All-Pro distinction of his seven-year career.
Here’s the full contract, per a source with knowledge of the terms:
1. Signing bonus: $20 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $13 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2027 option bonus: $5.5 million.
4. 2027 workout bonus: $250,000, fully guaranteed (but must be earned).
5. 2027 base salary: $21.45 million, fully guaranteed.
6. 2028 90-man offseason roster bonus: $2.5 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027.
7. 2028 workout bonus: $250,000, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027 (but must be earned).
8. 2028 base salary: $27.05 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2027.
9. 2029 90-man offseason roster bonus: $5.5 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2028.
10. 2029 workout bonus: $250,000.
11. 2029 base salary: $22.251 million, $4.5 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2028.
12. 2030 90-man offseason roster bonus: $1 million.
13. 2030 workout bonus: $250,000.
14. 2030 base salary: $30.75 million.
The contract carries $60.2 million fully guaranteed at signing. The practical guarantee is $90 million, since the third year becomes guaranteed after the first season.
Simmons becomes the first defensive tackle to have $100 million in total guarantees at signing.
The new-money average is $35.276 million. Factoring in the compensation previously owed through 2027, it’s a five-year deal with an average from signing of $30 million.
One last note. At a time when more and more teams are insisting on per-game active roster bonuses (and when teams like the Titans are routinely using them for significant veteran contracts), the Simmons deal contains none.
In all, it’s a firm three-year, $90 million commitment, with another $10 million that will be guaranteed into the fourth season.
Jalen Carter should be smiling.
Every major NFL contract has ripple effects with other players. Friday’s new deal for Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons pushed the top of the market at the position from $31.75 million per year to $35.2 million.
That becomes directly relevant to Carter’s unsettled contract situation in Philadelphia.
Carter has become one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL, after only three seasons. By making it to multiple Pro Bowls, his fifth-year option for 2027 has spiked to $27.127 million. His franchise tag, as of 2028, will be at least $32.554 million.
In March, a report surfaced that the Eagles had gotten calls about a trade for Carter. Which seemed to come from a leak calculated to invite more calls — and possibly encouraging backchannel conversations that would allow Carter to conclude that whatever the Eagles may have been offering is in line with what he could get elsewhere.
Since then, Carter was an apparent hold-in during mandatory minicamp. Although coach Nick Sirianni declined to say why Carter wasn’t participating in team drills, Sirianni didn’t need to.
Carter wisely isn’t doing anything that may put himself at risk until he gets paid. Especially since he’s due to be paid only $3.723 million in 2026.
The Eagles usually do a good job of getting guys signed early, because delay always pushes the bar higher. In Carter’s case, the Simmons contract does precisely that.
Now, the target for the new-money APY on a new deal won’t be a click above $31.75 million. Carter will reasonably believe that he should come in ahead of $35.2 million.
So what would it take to get to $35.3 million? With $30.85 million due over the next two years, a five-year, $136.75 million deal would get there.
That’s the minimum, at this point. And Carter likely won’t be doing anything during training camp until he gets there.
One of the best defensive linemen in the NFL has gotten a new deal.
The Titans have announced that defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has agreed to a “multi-year extension.” Via NFL Network, it’s a three-year, $105.8 million addition to his existing contract.
“Tennessee has become a second home for me,” Simmons said, via the team’s website. “From day one, this organization believed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to pour into this franchise and community. I want to thank God, my family, my teammates, Ms. Amy [Adams Strunk] and the entire Titans organization for believing in me. My job isn’t finished. I believe in this locker room and this staff, and I’m focused on helping this team get back to competing for championships.”
A first-round pick in 2019 from Mississippi State, Simmons has become the cornerstone of the Tennessee franchise. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2022, and a first-team All-Pro in 2025.
The average annual value of the extension is $35.2 million. That makes him the highest-paid interior defensive lineman, based on new-money average. Chris Jones had the prior top spot at $31.75 million.
Simmons had been signed through 2027. The new deal puts him under contract through 2030.
He was due to make $44.17 million over the next two years. The three new years push the total contract to five years and $149.97 million.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky signed a two-year deal with the Titans this offseason, reuniting with his former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
While Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 draft, at this point in his career, he’s better suited as a backup. That’s a role he’s embracing, particularly given his familiarity with the scheme and the presence of young quarterback Cam Ward.
“At this point of my career, I feel like I have a lot to offer as a mentor,” Trubisky said recently, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “And Cam being young, we’ve have a great relationship so far, and I am looking forward to helping him in any way I can, and take the next step, but also these young guys. Not only Cam, but everyone on this team. It is a fairly young team overall. I am getting up there with my experience, but I feel like I have a lot to offer.
“I love being a great teammate, and I love working hard. It was a great opportunity to come here, and I look forward to playing with coach [Robert] Saleh and coach ‘Dabes.’”
Trubisky, who has started 57 games in his career, said that at this point he knows his job is to come out and work.
“I know it is a mentor-type role, me being in Year 10 and Cam being in Year 2,” Trubisky said. “My job here is to help Cam as much as possible to be the best player he can possibly be.
“I am happy to be here to support him, and I am definitely willing to help, to be the best teammate I could possibly be and help this franchise win in any way possible. I love the game of football. I love the team camaraderie aspect, pushing each other, and I love competing every day and trying to be the best I can possibly be at my craft.”
While that M word “mentorship” can be a dirty one for many veteran quarterbacks, it’s notable that Trubisky has not only accepted it, but is also embracing it.
Trubisky may be the backup, but given his familiarity with the coaching staff and the league at large, he should be an asset for Ward’s development in his second season.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward hasn’t always been his sharpest at OTA practices while learning the team’s new offense this spring, but missed passes aren’t a concern for the guys calling the shots on the coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said that Titans players are “still learning” the offense and that “you have to make the mistakes” in order to fix what’s wrong with the unit’s operation. He said the team is happy with where Ward is at this point in the process and head coach Robert Saleh echoed that lack of concern.
“Every quarterback is going to miss a couple here and there,” Saleh said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN.com. “I would say Brock Purdy’s one of the most accurate quarterbacks in all of football, and he would miss a lot of throws, and that’s OK. These guys are all working on a few things here and there.”
The Titans will have chances to continue ironing out the mistakes at minicamp this week and during training camp. If that goes well, the offense should be in position for a quick start to the regular season.
