The NFL's 2026 trade deadline is still 12 days in the distance, but contending teams − as well as those seemingly furthest from a Lombardi Trophy − are wasting little time making major moves as the midpoint of the regular season approaches.
Perhaps the biggest blockbuster of the year, maybe even more so than this summer's Myles Garrett's trade, came down on Thursday, Oct. 29, when the Tennessee Titans sent All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons, almost undoubtedly their premier player, to the Chicago Bears in a godfather offer that ships two first-round picks to Nashville in exchange.
The impact of this trade promises to be far-reaching, so let's sift through its apparent winners and losers:
WINNERS
Chicago Bears
A team that already appeared to be on a potential Super Bowl track,
particularly after QB Caleb Williams' return from his Week 2 hamstring injury, has not only further signaled that belief to its fans and locker room but has legitimately bolstered its defense with one of the league's dominant players. Chicago already ranked in the top 10 defensively overall and in terms of points allowed. But coordinator Dennis Allen's unit was at its best last year when it was making game-changing plays − specifically a league-best 33 takeaways and NFL-high plus-22 turnover differential. The Bears haven't been quite as good in those departments this year, a minus-1 differential specifically, but the havoc Simmons tends to create could quickly vault them back near the top of those categories. At minimum, Simmons will be knifing though A and B gaps and likely terrorizing the Jared Goffs, Jordan Loves and Kyler Murrays of the world.
Tennessee Titans
When you're 1-6, no reason to officially wave the white flag on your season − but the Titans almost certainly did the right thing by extracting maximum value from the Bears for a 29-year-old player. Getting first-round picks in the next two drafts should be especially valuable, even if they're not likely to be especially high ones. But despite an offseason spending spree, it's clear the Titans' rebuild is nowhere close to transforming them into a playoff-caliber team, so drastic action was almost certainly the proper recourse for second-year GM Mike Borgonzi and first-year coach Robert Saleh as they attempt to handpick the players they want to form Tennessee's foundation.
Defensive tackles
Simmons is the first man at his position to be traded for multiple first-rounders in the common draft era (since 1967) − that after he landed a three-year extension with a nine-figure guarantee. If dominant interior D-linemen weren't highly prized assets before, the money Simmons is making and draft capital he's apparently worth are indicative of how teams regard players of his ilk.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Sure seems like the Jags (4-2) can pretty much hit cruise control on their way to the AFC South crown. The Houston Texans are 2-5, a record better than or equal to the Titans and Indianapolis Colts, who are both in the process of blowing up their rosters. And while the Texans could rise again in 2027, sure seems like the Jaguars should pencil in three or four wins next year against their dismantling divisional rivals.
'Monday Night Football'
It will feature the Bears and, presumably, Simmons visiting the Seattle Seahawks and their recently obtained prize, former Colts All-Pro G Quenton Nelson, to cap Week 8 on Nov. 2. Should be fun.
LOSERS
NFC North
If the season ended today − it doesn't − the entire division would make the NFC playoff field, the undefeated Minnesota Vikings with the No. 1 seed, while the Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers would all slot in as wild cards. But Simmons could change the calculus here, whether it pertains to Chicago's ability to further challenge Minnesota for the NFC North crown, or the Bears' ability to damage some of their archrivals as these teams begin playing each other with added frequency (Chicago still has four divisional games yet to play).
Cam Ward
The Titans quarterback, who was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft, has yet to live up to that advance billing. Tennessee has lost 20 of Ward's 24 starts to date, and he has yet to lift many boats with a meager 19 TD passes and 78.4 passer rating while averaging just a bit more than 180 passing yards per game. Ward's stunted progress is hardly his fault entirely − he's already working with his third head coach and third play caller. But jettisoning Simmons is a clear signal there are no sacred cows in Nashville, especially given the criticism that's already been directed at Ward and the steadily diminishing runways first-round QBs are afforded anymore. Watch your back, pal − you could be part of this re-reboot soon enough.
New York Jets and Cleveland Browns
A year ago, it appeared as if the Jets might control the 2027 draft, and they still own three first-round picks − including Indianapolis' − with which to hunt their next quarterback. The Browns joined the fray in June, when they stunningly shipped Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams to acquire their second Round 1 selection next year. And now the Titans, who, if the season ended today − it doesn't − would choose second overall before deciding how to leverage Chicago's first selection. And with the Browns currently leading the AFC North, and the Jets still hoping to organically find their way into the top five, both teams could find themselves potentially trying to bend the knee to Tennessee to get into position for the player(s) they truly covet next spring. (You also have to wonder how the Browns feel now about the Garrett deal given they only got one Round 1 pick in return, though Cleveland did feel their procurement of Jared Verse, a young and largely established player, put that deal over the finish line.)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers of Jeffery Simmons trade include Cam Ward, 'MNF,' Jets
