Simmons was “so happy” for Terrell Williams, who was hired as New England’s defensive coordinator after coaching NFL defensive lines for over a decade. The Titans star also was “happy as hell” for Clinton McMillan, a new defensive assistant in Foxboro, Mass.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection obviously was saluting coaches he worked with in Tennessee, but in today’s day and age, any social media posts can be perceived in various ways. Simmons, however, didn’t appreciate how NFL fans took his messages as anything other than congratulatory.

“Stop trying to make stories!” Simmons posted to X on Friday. “These guys that I’m congratulating are guys who I spent majority of my NFL career with! Getting a promotion with the Titans or another team is a blessing! Why wouldn’t I be happy for them? So of course I’m going to congratulate them!”

Simmons will have the opportunity to reunite with Vrabel, Williams and McMillan at some point in the 2025 NFL campaign. In wake of the Patriots and the Titans both finishing last in their respective divisions in 2024, New England is slated to make a trip to Nashville next season.