The Green Bay Packers are thin on the defensive line due to injury concerns and, like all of their NFC North Division competitors, could use a player to upgrade the position ahead of the trade deadline. Unfortunately for Green Bay and the rest of the Chicago Bears‘ competitors, superstar defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons is off the market and heading to the Windy City.
Tom Pelissero broke the news on Thursday, October 29 that Chicago is sending the Tennessee Titans a monster draft haul in return for Simmons.
“The Bears are sending two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Titans for Jeff Simmons,” Pelissero wrote. “A monster deal.”
The first round picks are in 2027 and 2028, while Chicago is also sending out a 2027 fourth-rounder to Tennessee. The Bears get Simmons as well as a fifth-round pick in return.
Jeffery Simmons Among Best Defensive Tackles in NFL
The Packers blew the Bears out of the water during their first matchup this season, largely because Chicago’s defense failed to put pressure on Jordan Love and he lit up a young and incomplete secondary because of it.
That all appears likely to change now, as Simmons is among the best in the NFL from the interior of the defensive line. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who earned first-team All-Pro honors last year.
Simmons, who is playing this season at the age of 29, is under contract through 2030 after recently inking a three-year extension worth $106 million total.
All told, Simmons has tallied 96 quarterback hits, 72 tackles for loss, 46.5 sacks, 31 pass breakups and nine forced fumbles across his eight-year NFL career, which includes 106 games played and 104 starts.
Jeffrey Simmons Discussed Possibility of Trade 1 Day Before Bears Acquired Him
Simmons spoke about the potential of a trade just one day before the Bears made the move to bring him to Chicago.
“I don’t worry about the things that I can’t control. And those type of things is also a distraction,” Simmons said. “I mean, that’s a lot of fans and outside media. I haven’t heard anything from my agent. I haven’t heard anything from this organization. As far as I know, I’m gonna be here.
“I can be that type of guy and say, ‘I want out.’ Or I can be that type of guy that could stay here in my leadership and everything to help turn things back around where I know it could get back to,” Simmons continued. “So I think that’s kind of been my mindset.”
Green Bay will travels to Solider Field in Chicago for the teams’ second matchup of the regular season on Christmas Day.
Packers Get Bad News as Bears Trade Haul for Jeffrey Simmons