NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Anyone doubting that an NFL offensive guard is worth $100 million needs only to look at who Peter Skoronski lines up against every day in practice during training camp.
That would be All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
“You can’t tell me the guys that have to block that guy aren’t important too,” Skoronski said Friday night after a scrimmage at Nissan Stadium.
Now Skoronski has done his part to reset the pay scale for interior linemen with the Tennessee Titans announcing Friday that they signed him to a multiyear extension making him the NFL’s highest-paid guard.
“That’s always a good thing to help the market along and help other guys along too,” Skoronski said. “I think that’s a positive thing. But yeah, there’s a reason because we have a tough job, and I think defenses now key on that, too, that the interior line is where the pocket starts.”
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The Titans did not announce details of the extension for the No. 11 pick of the 2023 draft. A person familiar with the terms who spoke with the The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said the four-year deal is worth $100 million with $88 million guaranteed.
ESPN and the NFL Network first reported the terms of the contract making Skoronski the league’s highest-paid guard.
Skoronski, a Park Ridge native and an alumnus of Maine South and Northwestern, called the extension a tremendous blessing. He thanked controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, general manager Mike Borgonzi and new coach Robert Saleh for believing in him.
Skoronski made first- or second-team All-Big Ten all three years in Evanston and became Northwestern’s first unanimous first-team All-American in 2022. He was the first recruit rated a five-star prospect by one of the major services to sign with the Wildcats out of high school.
Skoronski’s grandfather Bob is in in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. He was an offensive tackle in the 1960s for the Packers teams that won five NFL championships, including two Super Bowls.
The Titans were the NFL’s biggest spenders in free agency in March and continued the spending with the two stars they wanted to keep on this roster.
Simmons signed an extension making him the league’s highest-paid at his position in late June. Skoronski’s contract wraps up a lineman who finished fourth in the All-Pro voting at left guard for the 2025 season.
Simmons said his teammate deserved this payday seeing how hard Skoronski works.
“To be able to battle against Pete these last couple years at practice have helped me,” said Simmons, who had a career-high 11 sacks last season.
The contract for Skoronski is a nice change for the Titans, who didn’t draft a player they deemed deserving of a second contract from their draft classes of 2020, 2021 or 2022. The franchise had only one player from any of those draft classes still on the roster last season, and tight end Chig Okonkwo left in free agency.
Borgonzi said they couldn’t be happier to lock up Skoronski with the goal of keeping players and people who are “cornerstones” for this team.
“Peter is certainly that for us,” Borgonzi said. “He has the work ethic to match his talent and a perpetual desire to win that we want permeating throughout our building. We’re excited to enter the season knowing he and his family will remain Titans for years to come.”
Skoronski missed three of his first four games as a rookie after being drafted out of Northwestern. He has started 47 straight games, not missing an offensive snap in either of the past two seasons.
His 48 starts are a franchise best for a player under the age of 25 since the beginning of the 1999 season. Skoronski just turned 25, and nobody on the roster has started more consecutive games than his 47 straight.