Bears trade two firsts for All-Pro tackle
Chicago sends 2027 and 2028 first-round picks to Tennessee for Jeffery Simmons, who has four sacks this season.
By Luka Evans ·
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams watches from the sideline as his defense settles into position. The team enters Monday night's game at Seattle with a five-and-two record, sitting behind the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. To tighten a defensive line that has drawn questions this season, the franchise moved decisively on Thursday to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
The deal, reported by The Associated Press and confirmed by a person familiar with the transaction, sends the Bears' first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 to Tennessee. Chicago also includes a fourth-round selection in next year's draft. In return, the Titans receive Simmons and a fifth-round pick in 2028. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been made public.
Simmons is 29 years old and has recorded four sacks in seven games this year. He earned first-team All-Pro honors last season after posting a career-high 11 sacks in 15 appearances. His arrival addresses a specific need for a roster that won the NFC North title last year for the first time since 2018. In Ben Johnson's first season as head coach, Chicago finished with an 11-6 record, beat the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, and lost to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.
General Manager Ryan Poles and Coach Ben Johnson view the expenditure of high draft capital as a signal that the team believes it can win its first Super Bowl since 1985. Johnson addressed the approach on Wednesday, noting that the trade deadline is November 10. "That’s certainly Ryan’s domain, and yet we have constant dialogue of what this team needs and where we can impact ourselves not just this year but years in the future as well," Johnson said. He added that Poles is "turning over every stone" to improve the team and that he feels good about the process.
Simmons, asked about the possibility of a move on Wednesday, kept his focus on the present. "Each and every day I wake up, my goal is to just be where my feet are at," he said. "I don't worry about the things I can't control. Them types of things are a distraction." The Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, with the new defensive tackle expected to join the roster immediately.
