If Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons were a pitcher in the MLB, this post would be a lot more concerning, but as a defender in the NFL, the news comes as a mere speedbump on the road of his 2024 campaign. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Simmons told the media today that he missed the team’s win over the Dolphins last night due to an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament. 
The UCL is a well-known ligament for baseball fans. Often the reconstruction of this ligament, nicknamed Tommy John Surgery, is cause for mourning as it usually requires a recovery time of 12 to 18 months for pitchers. The pressure applied to the elbow of a pitcher’s throwing arm requires that amount of time to heal, whereas the requirements on that same ligament for a defensive lineman are much lighter.
“I had (torn) my ligament,” Simmons told reporters. “I’m sure everybody heard of the Tommy John with baseball players. I had that injury, but I’m good now.”
The injury reportedly occurred in an act of “friendly fire” when Simmons collided with a teammate. While Simmons had to wear a large brace on his left arm last week, he was told that he wouldn’t require surgery to fix the issue. Still, limitations on his ability to extend his arm led the Dolphins to hold him out of practice and last night’s game.
Luckily for Simmons, Tennessee approaches a conveniently timed bye week. The 27-year-old veteran expressed confidence that, following the team’s bye, he would be available to play against the division-rival Colts.
It’s an actual injury to a good player playing on a bad team—more realistic than Adam’s ‘pulled hammy’—but he is willing to play for another team this weekend.