On Monday, the Tennessee Titans put on pads for the first time in 2026. Up until now, it's been non-contact drills and walkthroughs to get players acclimated to football after taking some time off. After practice on Monday, a few players were made available to the media, including rookie defensive end Keldric Faulk.
Faulk is one of those guys who appears at ease behind the mic, someone who is unafraid to answer questions and speak his mind. It also seems that he's one of those guys whose face speaks volumes whether he's verbally speaking or not. A prime example is when he was asked if he saw a different side of Jeffery Simmons when the pads came on yesterday.
.@Titans DE Keldric Faulk said he saw a different side of @GrindSimmons94 when the pads
came on today. pic.twitter.com/OAinpEzked
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 3, 2026
As the question is being asked, Faulk's face lit up, and he broke into an easy smile.
"Yeah, I definitely did," Faulk said. "Jeff is real life; he's intense with it, and he plays hard on every snap. He's balls to the wall on every snap. And, you know, between the plays he's got words here and there, and that's the part of Jeff I love the most because he's never too tired to talk; he's always ready to go."
If you've paid attention to Simmons at all since he entered the NFL, you know he's never short on words. A larger-than-life personality housed in a 6-foot-4, 305-pound frame, Simmons is a force to be reckoned with on the field. And he's never shy about sharing his opinions, whether on the field or off of it. That confidence, paired with his overall success, makes him a great mentor for a young guy like Faulk.
Many people were surprised that the Titans traded back into the first round to pick up Faulk, but he's a clear fit with this defense. Having Simmons as a mentor and someone he can lean on will put his NFL career on a path to success, and it will be interesting to see what impact he makes during his rookie campaign.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Keldric Faulk saw a different side of Jeffery Simmons with pads on
