Bears Land All-Pro Simmons for Pair of First-Round Picks
Chicago sends 2027 and 2028 first-round selections to Tennessee ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
By Fatou Kim ·
The Chicago Bears acquired Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on Thursday, Oct. 29, sending first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a fourth-rounder in 2027 to the Titans. Tennessee also sends a 2028 fifth-round pick to Chicago. ESPN Research notes this marks the first trade in the common draft era, which began in 1967, in which a defensive tackle has brought back multiple first-round selections.
The deal follows two other moves by NFC contenders on Tuesday: San Francisco acquired DeForest Buckner and Seattle added Quenton Nelson. ESPN Analytics now gives Chicago a 13% chance of winning the NFC, behind San Francisco at 39% and ahead of Seattle at 11%. All three acquired players have made first-team All-Pro teams.
Chicago ranks 23rd in pass rush win rate from interior defenders this season at 13%, according to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats. Simmons, who entered the league in 2019, has recorded 46.5 sacks, the second-highest total among defensive tackles behind Buckner. He has played 399 snaps this season, more than any other defensive tackle, and leads the position group in total pressures and run stop EPA.
The Bears enter Week 9 at 5-2 before facing Seattle. Tennessee sits at 1-6. Titans coach Robert Saleh has called Simmons the best defensive tackle in the league. National analyst Jeremy Fowler reported the Titans were not actively shopping Simmons before Chicago made its offer, and that Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi accepted a package he could not refuse.
Financially, the Bears assume the remaining $7,944,444 of Simmons' 2026 compensation. Chicago owes him a $21.45 million salary and a $5.5 million option bonus in 2027, totaling $26.95 million guaranteed. If he remains on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league year in March, another $29.8 million in 2028 pay becomes guaranteed.
Chicago ranks first in rushing, third in yards and eighth in scoring. The team signed right tackle Darnell Wright to a four-year, $116 million contract in August, the richest deal for a right tackle in league history. Quarterback Caleb Williams is eligible for an extension after the 2026 season.
