Titans Trade DT Jeffery Simmons To Bears

The NFL’s next blockbuster trade has been worked out. Jeffery Simmons is on the move, with his Tennessee tenure coming to an end.

The Pro Bowl defensive tackle is being traded from the Titans to the Bears, as first reported by The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. A pair of first-round picks – along with a fourth-rounder – is heading the other way, Pelissero adds. This marks the first time since 1967 that an interior D-lineman has been dealt for multiple first-round selections, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Chicago has made a splash which will have implications over the remainder of the 2026 season and beyond.

The trade is now official. Here are the full terms, per Schefter:

Bears receive:

• Simmons
• 2028 fifth-round pick

Titans receive:

• 2027 first-round pick
• 2027 fourth-round pick
• 2028 first-round pick

Simmons has long been deemed untouchable from Tennessee’s perspective even as the team has struggled to generate consistent success in recent years. It appeared as though the former first-rounder was set to remain in Nashville for the foreseeable future when he inked another long-term extension in June. Instead, Simmons is now headed to the Windy City as the 5-2 Bears attempt to load up for a playoff run.

[RELATED: Fallout From Chicago-Tennessee Blockbuster]

Chicago traded away Gervon Dexter shortly before the start of this season, sending him to the Falcons. That move yielded a fifth-round selection in April’s draft, but this Simmons acquisition is of course far more significant. The interior of the Bears’ defensive line is set to receive a notable boost for the second half of the campaign but also years to come.

This past spring, Simmons briefly became the league’s highest-paid defensive tackle with his new deal. The 2025 first-team All-Pro is attached to an average annual value of $35.28MM on a pact which runs through 2030. Much of his $13MM base salary for the current season has of course already been paid out, which will limit the finances needed for Chicago to afford Simmons in the immediate term. Moving forward, though, this move will have major implications. Simmons is set to carry cap charges above $31MM each season beginning in 2027.

A notable acquisition on the part of Bears general manager Ryan Poles does not come as a surprise. Chicago was recently named as a suitor to watch regarding a defensive addition. Interest was shown in DeForest Buckner, who was traded to the 49ers earlier this week as a rental. This Simmons acquisition is a long-term investment, but it means the Bears have joined the 49ers and Seahawks (Quenton Nelson) as an NFC team making a notable move prior to the November 10 trade deadline.

As noted by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Poles and Titans GM Mike Borgonzi have a long-running connection dating back to their time at Boston College and when working together in the Chiefs’ front office. That familiarity played a role in the trade being finalized. Borgonzi’s attention will now turn to other potential trades in the near future; today’s move may represent a shift in Tennessee’s stance regarding running back Tony Pollard, for instance.

Either way, the Titans will aim to use the capital gained in this deal to build a new core. It remains to be seen if Cam Ward will be viewed as the team’s quarterback of the future beyond 2026, but in any event the addition of young, cost-controlled talent elsewhere on the roster will be the top priority. Instability in the front office and on the sidelines has defined the Titans in the post-Mike Vrabel era, but Borgonzi and new head coach Robert Saleh recently received an endorsement from CEO Burke Nihill when he was speaking on behalf of owner Amy Adams Strunk.

That pair will be tasked with a full-scale rebuild of a Tennessee team which sits at 1-6 on the year and now faces the prospect of replacing one of the league’s top defenders. Simmons, 29, set a new career high with 11 sacks last season. He has managed four so far in 2026, meaning a fourth campaign with at least 7.5 sacks is well within reach. This trade will allow the Mississippi State alum to reunite with former college teammate Montez Sweat, himself a former midseason Bears trade acquisition.

Sweat has been a full-time starter since arriving in Chicago in 2023, but finding a productive complement along the edge or the interior has largely proven to be a challenge. Adding Simmons to the mix will substantially increase the expectations on a Bears team which already sits in the top 10 in sacks (along with total and scoring defense) for 2026. This trade could lessen the chances of a Khalil Mack reunion taking place, but it will be interesting to see if Poles remains aggressive in the days leading up to the trade deadline.