Bears trade two first-round picks to Titans for All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons

The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans in a blockbuster trade on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke anonymously because it had not been announced. Chicago sent Tennessee its 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a fourth-round pick, and received Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round selection. Simmons, 29, signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension before this season that made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, and he has four sacks in seven games this year. The Bears, now 5-2 after two straight wins, play at Seattle on Monday night ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. Asked about his role in trade decisions, coach Ben Johnson said there was a lot going on, while general manager Ryan Poles oversees the roster.

Left-leaning sources, led by the Guardian US, open with the trade and its cost, citing an Associated Press report based on an anonymous source, and list the picks in detail. They stress the franchise's pursuit of its first Super Bowl title since 1985 and feature Johnson's remark about the workload, while recounting last season's 11-6 record, first division title since 2018 and playoff losses to Green Bay and the Rams. They omit Simmons's contract and statistics. Right-leaning sources frame the deal as an all-in bid for a title. The Daily Mail calls it a huge statement by Super Bowl hopefuls and highlights the contract, Simmons's stats and the earlier pursuit of DeForest Buckner. Daily Wire, by Matt Foley on Sport & State, says the Bears are going all-in, stresses the interior weakness and the return of Montez Sweat, and credits Poles for pushing his chips in. Both sides agree on the picks, the player and the team's record. They differ in emphasis: the left centers on cost and history, the right on contract, stats and contention.