Bears have declared their Super Bowl window open with Simmons acquisition

The Chicago Bears shook up the NFL landscape Thursday, acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans in a blockbuster trade, according to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

After missing out on DeForest Buckner, Bears get their guy

The Bears’ pursuit of DeForest Buckner was no passing inquiry, as Rapoport indicated they made a serious effort to acquire him before the 49ers struck a deal.

The Titans are receiving 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Bears for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick.

Simmons is now the first defensive tackle in the common draft era (since 1967) to be traded for more than one first-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and ESPN Research.

Simmons, 29, has spent his entire NFL career with the Titans after being drafted in the first round in 2019. Over eight seasons, Simmons has tallied 46.5 sacks, 72 tackles for loss and 96 quarterback hits.

Bears declare their Super Bowl window open

The acquisition of Simmons is the kind of move franchises make when they believe they are closer to a Lombardi Trophy.

Teams that are still building around a young core don’t part with multiple first-round picks. Those selections are the lifeblood of roster construction. Contenders, however, view those picks differently. When a front office believes its championship window is open, proven stars become more valuable when there are preexisting relationships already built around the league. 

The Bears already possessed one of the league’s most disruptive defenses, leading the NFL in tackles-for-loss rate. Simmons isn’t a projection. He’s a first-team All-Pro coming off an 11-sack season and one of the NFL’s premier interior defenders.

The Bears didn’t just acquire a star; they acquired a solution. According to James Palmer, an NFL insider on Prime Video, Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has spent much of the season scheming pressure through blitzes, while Simmons brings the ability to collapse pockets on his own. Just as important, years of trust between Bears GM Ryan Poles and Titans GM Mike Borgonzi helped Chicago land a player many believed would never be available.

Chicago revisits a familiar playbook

According to Kevin Fishbain, senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bears, “Newest Bears DT Jeffery Simmons currently ranks No. 1 on ESPN’s pass rush win rate for defensive tackles. He finished second in that category last season and first in 2024.” 

Championship-caliber defenses don’t sit still. Despite already leading the NFL in tackles-for-loss rate, the Bears doubled down by acquiring Simmons, whose 18 run stops are the most in football.

The last time the Bears traded two first-round picks was for Khalil Mack in 2018. They gave the same trade package to the Titans. 

As significant as the trade compensation was, the contract may be the hidden win. Chicago gets an All-Pro defensive tackle at just $7.94 million for the rest of 2026 and avoids the expense of negotiating a new deal.