The Chicago Bears made a huge splash ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans for multiple first-round picks.
Simmons is one of the best defensive tackles in the league, but the Tennessee Titans are far away from contention. Meanwhile, the Bears are a Super Bowl contender but sorely lacked a game-breaker on defense, leading to this deal getting done.
With the addition, the Bears now have a player who could make a legitimate difference down the stretch, especially in a tight NFC North division. Simmons instantly becomes one of the Bears' best players and could single-handedly raise the floor on the Bears' defense.
It's the Bears' 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-rounder going to the Titans, who send Jeff Simmons and a 2028 fifth-rounder to Chicago.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 29, 2026Chicago had to give up several premium picks, but did not have to include any of their players as part of the deal. Therefore, the Bears' defense is now deeper and more talented with Simmons.
Here's how the Bears' defense looks with Simmons in the fold.
MORE: Grading the Bears trade for Jeffery Simmons
Bears depth chart projection
| Position | First team | Second team | Third team |
| DL | Austin Booker | Shemar Turner | Jamree Kromah |
| DL | Grady Jarrett | Neville Gallimore | James Lynch |
| DL | Jeffery Simmons | Kentavius Street | Jordan van den Berg |
| DL | Montez Sweat | Daniel Hardy | |
| LB | T.J. Edwards | D'Marco Jackson | Keyshaun Elliott |
| LB | Devin Bush | Noah Sewell | Jack Sanborn |
| CB | Tyrique Stevenson | Clark Phillips | |
| CB | Kyler Gordon | Malik Muhammad II | |
| S | Dillon Thieneman | Elijah Hicks | |
| S | Cam Lewis | Skyler Thomas | |
| CB | Jaylon Johnson | Josh Blackwell |
Jeffery Simmons instantly slots into a starting defensive tackle spot, as Kentavius Street should be the one to move to a backup role. In the process, Simmons will become the best player on the Bears' defense, which will make everyone else's lives easier.
Simmons has 38 tackles this season, which will tie for second on the Bears with Devin Bush and just behind Dillon Thieneman. Additionally, Simmons' four sacks this year are tied with Kyler Gordon and Austin Booker for the most on the team.
Chicago has one of the best offenses in the NFL, but the defense thus far has left much to be desired. Most notably, the team didn't have any elite players on that side of the ball, so aggressively trading for Simmons is a way to add some juice to the roster.
In the offseason, Simmons signed a new, three-year, $105.9 million deal with the Titans that kicks in next season, so Chicago gets the defensive tackle for the next 3.5 seasons. Simmons is 29 years old and firmly in his prime, which is worth the price of multiple first-round picks for the Bears.
Next up for the Bears is potentially adding to their secondary, which has dealt with both underperformance and injuries. Thienaman, a rookie safety, has been a bright spot, but veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson hasn't been the same this year after dealing with injuries himself.
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