Year 1 of the Robert Saleh era has been a disaster for the Tennessee Titans. Through seven games they already appear to be waving the white flag.
Tennessee traded All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears, according to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, for two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick. The Bears will also get a 2028 fifth-round pick in the deal.
Simmons, 29, is at the absolute peak of his career. He's a game-wrecker at the interior of the defensive line, and his presence will immediately elevate a Bears defense that's already played above expectations this season.
The sudden absence of Simmons is a crushing blow for the Titans' defense, who ranked a measly 23rd in defensive expected points added prior to the trade.
It's hard to imagine the 1-6 Titans reentering the win column after this deal, which begs the question: Is a fire sale beginning?
Running back Tony Pollard is prime trade candidate, as he's 29 and in the final year of his three-year, $21.75 million deal. Here's what we know about a potential Pollard trade.
Will the Titans trade Tony Pollard?
It'd certainly make sense, but there's no indication the Titans are leaning that way. Tennessee gave Pollard 28 touches in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns, which could signal they're showcasing him before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. However, it could also mean offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is trying to help Cam Ward's development by establishing a run-first identity. Pollard, Keaton Mitchell and, most notably, Jonathan Taylor are some of the running backs who could be on the move by the deadline.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will Titans trade Tony Pollard after dealing Jeffery Simmons to Bears?
