The Chicago Bears just acquired arguably the best defensive tackle in the NFL by trading away two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Jeffrey Simmons, but the cost to the franchise will go beyond just draft assets.
Of course, Simmons is also under contract through 2030 and recently inked a three-year extension worth $106 million. But then there is the opportunity cost — in other words, the players Chicago might have added if they had not spent so much to acquire Simmons.
There are the two first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 that the Bears would have drafted and signed to cost-controlled rookie-scale deals. The best way to build a contender in the modern NFL is to stack a team with young, healthy talent that doesn’t cost much and then spend big selectively to fill in the roster around them.
Still, Simmons is just 29 and should have a few years left in his prime. Adding him is a play by Chicago to fortify its Super Bowl contention this year and over the next two seasons with quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams plays on the final season of his rookie deal in 2027, after which the Bears will exercise their fifth-year team option. That will pay Williams a significant amount in 2028, though far less than the annual salary he will get in 2029 and beyond, which will likely fall in the range of $60-plus million per season.
So it is an exciting time to be a Bears fan, as the team is all-in now and for at least the next two or three years into the future. However, it is unlikely Chicago will reunite with pass-rusher Khalil Mack after spending so much capital on Simmons.
Bears Far Less Likely to Trade for Khalil Mack After Dealing for Jeffrey Simmons
Multiple reports have connected Mack and the Bears for weeks given that the Los Angeles Chargers are the last winless team in the league and the former Defensive Player of the Year is 35 and on a one-year contract.
Chicago’s decision to break the bank for Simmons doesn’t necessarily preclude a deal for Mack, as he is actually more affordable than his $18 million contract suggests. His base salary this season is just $8 million, so if the Bears traded for Mack this week they would only have to add about $4.9 million onto the salary cap.
Beyond that, Mack shouldn’t cost more than fifth-round pick given the circumstances. So if the Bears really want to push all their chips in for a deep playoff run this winter, flipping the fifth-rounder they got back from Tennessee and clearing an extra $5 million in cap room could get Mack back in a Bears uniform alongside Simmons.
Khalil Mack Trade Was Never Guarantee for Chicago
However, there is no question that Chicago is less likely to make such a move now. And it was never a guarantee that the Chargers would let Mack go, as Los Angeles has remained adamant they don’t want to trade any of their stars despite their season already being in the tank.
Even if Mack ends up staying in L.A. or going elsewhere via trade, Chicago fans have plenty about which to be excited now.
Over the course of his eight-year career, which includes 106 games played and 104 starts, Simmons has produced 96 quarterback hits, 72 tackles for loss, 46.5 sacks, 31 pass breakups and nine forced fumbles.
Bears’ Jeffrey Simmons Trade Renders $18 Million Chicago Reunion Unlikely