Tennessee Titans spent a lot earlier this offseason to build around second-year quarterback Cam Ward in Robert Saleh’s first season as the team’s head coach. But following the first seven weeks of the season, the Titans are 1-6 and sit second in the 2027 NFL Draft order. Certainly, Tennessee is looking to gain some future draft capital, as the team is trading a veteran defensive tackle.
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Per Tom Pelissero of The Ringer, the Titans are trading Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. In exchange, Tennessee will receive 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, along with a 2027 fourth-round selection. The Bears, meanwhile, will receive Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Looking at the deal, it’s safe to say that both teams are getting what they need ahead of the deadline.
For starters, Chicago enters Week 8 at 5-2, with rising expectations under second-year head coach Ben Johnson. Simmons gives the Bears an established pass rusher who can attack opposing quarterbacks from the middle of the defensive line. He entered the 2026 season after recording the best year of his career with the Titans.
In 2025, the 29-year-old Pro Bowler recorded career-high 11 sacks and 67 combined tackles in 15 games. Through the first seven games of the 2026 season, he has four sacks, 38 combined tackles, and 20 solo tackles. At the same time, he entered Week 7 with 21 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, he has an overall grade of 76.7, a pass-rush grade of 80.5, and a run defense grade of 70 per PFF.
The Bears acquired Simmons at a time when they needed someone to fill a need alongside Grady Jarrett. Chicago’s defensive-line rotation had changed after the team traded Gervon Dexter to Atlanta before the season. The Bears had been using a group that included Kentavius Street, Neville Gallimore, and Jordan van den Berg alongside veteran Jarrett.
Simmons is expected to slot alongside Jarrett, giving Chicago two established interior defenders rather than relying as heavily on a rotation of less proven players.
At the same time, the Titans have a different reason behind trading Jeffery Simmons. The team is struggling after the first seven weeks of the season, and trading Simmons made sense from a long-term roster-building perspective.
A former first-round pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons had been a cornerstone of the Titans’ defensive line for his entire career. Across his career, the DT has recorded 46.5 sacks, 414 combined tackles, and 239 solo tackles with the Titans. During the stretch, he also earned four Pro Bowl honors.
In June this year, the Titans signed Jeffery Simmons to a three-year, $105.8 million extension, with $100 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in league history.
That said, Simmons is currently signed through the 2030 season, giving Chicago a long-term option in the defensive line. For Chicago, the move is a clear attempt to strengthen its defense and make the most of its 5-2 start, even if it means sacrificing valuable draft capital. Tennessee, meanwhile, gets an opportunity to replenish its draft cupboard and reshape its roster around Cam Ward.