Bears Pay High Price for All-Pro Tackle in Trade

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles sent two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round selection to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday in exchange for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The deal also included a fifth-round pick from the Titans for the 2028 class. The trade moves the Bears away from their current roster construction and toward a more expensive defensive strategy.

The package sent to Tennessee included Chicago’s first-round picks for 2027 and 2028. The Bears also surrendered a fourth-round selection in next year’s draft. In return, they acquired Simmons and a fifth-round pick in 2028. Bears coach Ben Johnson described the move in a release, noting that Simmons has proven to be one of the most impactful run defenders and disruptive pass-rushers in the NFL.

Johnson added that Simmons’ leadership will allow him to create a positive impact across the entire team. The Bears have won two consecutive games to reach a 5-2 record. They face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. Chicago is currently chasing the undefeated Minnesota Vikings for the lead in the NFC North.

Simmons, 29, has recorded four sacks in seven games this season. Next Gen Stats data shows he leads all defensive tackles with 28 pressures. He is the only player in the league with three sacks against double teams. The trade addresses a defensive line that had been questioned earlier in the season. The 2025 season is the first since 2018 that the Bears won the division.

Chicago finished last year with an 11-6 record under Johnson. The team defeated the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card playoff game before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime during the divisional round. The acquisition of Simmons signals that Johnson and Poles believe the roster is ready to compete for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title since the 1985 season.

Tennessee is 1-6 with a game against Cincinnati scheduled for Sunday. The Titans went 3-14 in each of the previous two seasons. The team has not held a winning record since finishing 12-5 in 2021. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi called Simmons an elite player both on and off the field. He expressed deep respect for Simmons’ work ethic and leadership during the year and a half he has been with the organization.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leads the offense. The team’s defense had been a point of concern before the trade. Simmons was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Mississippi State. He was a teammate of current Bears defensive end Montez Sweat during his college career. Simmons appeared in nine games as a rookie, starting seven of them and recording two sacks.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Simmons earned a first-team All-Pro selection last year. He set a career high with 11 sacks in 15 games. The four-time Pro Bowler signed a contract extension in June that reportedly covered three years and included $100 million in guaranteed money. Titans coach Robert Saleh stated that no one was shopping players initially, but a team eventually threw a hook that was too big to ignore.