As expected, the Tennessee Titans have re-signed quarterback Chris Simms, only two days after cutting him.  In so doing, coach Jeff Fisher basically admitted to violating the rules against having verbal agreements with players.

“Chris totally understood the move, and we assured him we’d get him back under contract and we did,” coach Jeff Fisher said.

Remarked a league insider in response, “Holy shit.”

Then the league insider was a bit more specific (but far less entertaining):  “I’m not sure the league office is going to look very favorably upon that transaction and quote.  It sure looks and sounds like a pre-existing agreement to manipulate the roster.”

The Titans dumped Simms on Saturday so that they could sign an extra punter, in the event that Criag Hentrich couldn’t play. 

The reaction in some circles was to assume that the Titans and Simms had a wink-nod-belch-fart agreement in place with Simms, with Simms being told he’d be re-signed, but with neither Simms nor the Titans ever admitting to it.

And, amazingly, Fisher has essentially admitted to entering into a verbal understanding with Simms that he’d be brought back.

Complicating matters is that Fisher is the Co-Chair of the Competition Committee, and thus in our view he should be avoiding not only rules violations but any conduct that might appear to constitute a violation.

In the end, the Titans’ message to Simms was in line with our speculation from Saturday night:  “Look, Chris, you’re already going to be paid for the week because you were on the team as of close of business on Tuesday.  And you were going to be the third quarterback on Sunday.  So we’re just going to slide you off the roster today, and we’ll bring you back next week.”

As we understand the rules, that’s simply not permitted.  It now remains to be seen whether the league will do anything about it.