In a week that has already seen multiple big trades, the Chicago Bears made the biggest of all by acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. He cost them a pretty penny too. But did the Bears become a better team as part of the deal?
According to one general manager of an NFC team, it absolutely did.
Following reports of the trade, NFL insider Jordan Schultz shared a message he received from an anonymous general manager, offering “respect” to the Bears for the move. The GM then declared that the Simmons acquisition makes them “a Super Bowl roster for this year and for years to come.”
“Respect to the Bears for doing that. That offense with this defense now makes them a Super Bowl roster for this year and for years to come without a doubt,” the GM said.
The Deal
Chicago made a pretty hefty investment into Simmons. The Bears have sent the Titans two first-round draft picks (2027 and 2028) and a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
The trade marks the first time in modern NFL history that a team has traded multiple first-round picks in exchange for a defensive tackle.
That said, the Bears are still getting one of the league’s better defensive tackles. Since 2021, Simmons has made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections, including a First-Team All-Pro selection last year.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
In eight seasons, Simmons has appeared in 106 games and recorded 46.5 sacks, 31 passes defended, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, 414 tackles, 72 tackles for loss and 96 QB hits.
Simmons may not be John Randle or Deacon Jones, but he’s widely regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the league right now. He now goes from a Titans defense that has been average at best to a team that currently ranks in the top-10.
