Jeffery Simmons said the 2024 offseason will be the most important of his career with the Tennessee Titans.

Simmons said Monday he was not happy with his individual performance this season, even before it was cut short in Week 13 by a knee injury. The second-team All-Pro defensive lineman the previous two years had 44 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and forced a fumble in 2023.

Simmons hopes the improvement he plans to make will ignite a resurgence for the Titans, who finished the season with a 6-11 record and in last place in the AFC South.

"It's time for us to get things turned around with this team and that's what I'm most looking forward to this offseason especially with myself," Simmons said. "This offseason is going to be the most important for me. I've been real hard on myself. Injuries happen, but I consider myself, if not the best, one of the best that plays my position, and I feel like I have to re-establish that."

In 2022, Simmons played in 15 games and recorded 54 tackles with 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. In 2021, he played in 17 games and had 54 tackles along with a career-high 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

"I mean 5.5 sacks, whatever I had this year, wasn't good enough," Simmons said. "People ask, 'Is (Mike) Vrable hard on you?' I'm hard on myself. I don't think I had the season this year I wanted to outside of being hurt."

JEFFERY SIMMONS MAKES TD CATCH: Tennessee Titans DT Jeffery Simmons grabs first TD catch in loss to Jaguars

Simmons is confident the Titans are capable of improving because it hasn't been that long since they were winners. Before going 7-10 last season they were 12-5 in 2021 and 11-5 in 2020 and advanced to the AFC Championship game.

"The main focus is to try to rebuild that (winning culture)," Simmons said. "Since I've been here, last year and this year was the first years of not making the playoffs. We know how to win around here and it's just, 'How can we get that back?' It's their job upstairs to do what they've got to do to get the guys in here that want to be here and want to win. It's my job as a leader and a captain to get that message out and set the example."

Simmons said his recovery has gone well. He was chosen as an alternate for the Pro Bowl but is not concerned about playing in it.

"I feel great; I'm continuing to get better," he said. "My knee is feeling way better than it did a couple of weeks ago. I'm not really thinking about the Pro Bowl. I'm thinking way past that and more about my offseason."

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans' Jeffery Simmons to use offseason to 'get things turned around'