Trades have been popping off in the NFL this week, and that continued on Thursday morning when the Chicago Bears swung a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The Bears gave up quite a bit to land Simmons (first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, plus a 2027 fourth-rounder), but he could very well be the missing piece that this defense needed.
With a high-powered offense already in tow, Chicago is looking increasingly dangerous as we approach the midway point of the 2026 campaign. And while this team was already good before acquiring Simmons, an anonymous NFC general manager made it clear that he believes this trade could be a game-changer for the Bears.
Bears Receive Super Bowl Praise After Jeffery Simmons Trade
The No. 19 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Titans, and in the process, he turned himself into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. While Tennessee has fallen apart over the past few years, Simmons has only gotten better, as he earned the first All-Pro First Team selection of his career in 2025 when he racked up a career-high 11 sacks.
Once again, Simmons was one of the best players on the Titans roster this season, even as they have crawled out to a 1-6 start. Through seven games, Simmons has already racked up 38 tackles, four sacks, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Now, he’ll be joining a Bears defense that has significantly more weapons at their disposal around him.
Simmons will immediately slot in at the center of Chicago’s defensive line and help that group create more consistent pressure moving forward, which should help open things up for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and company. The Bears are obviously thrilled to have landed Simmons, and while they gave up an arm and a leg for him, one general manager believes that his addition immediately makes this team a Super Bowl contender.
“Respect to the Bears for doing that,” the GM said, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “That offense with this defense now makes them a Super Bowl roster for this year and for years to come without a doubt.”
Bears Make a Statement With Jeffery Simmons Trade
Chicago has already managed to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks at a high clip this season, but it has largely done it by drawing up exotic blitz packages involving defensive backs and linebackers. Now that Simmons is in town, Allen can get even more creative when it comes to pressuring quarterbacks, as he doesn’t necessarily have to blitz every play in order to generate pressure.
The Bears were hoping to take another step forward after their breakout campaign in 2025, and now, they are going all in on this team. The front office believes wholeheartedly in this group, and that could not have been made clearer than with this trade. Chicago will get to see Simmons in action for the first time in Week 8 when the team squares off against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Anonymous GM Sends Strong Message After Bears Trade for Jeffery Simmons