CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The Bears sent their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a fourth-rounder in next year's draft, to the Titans for Simmons and a fifth-round selection in 2028.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Led by Caleb Williams, Chicago has won two in a row to improve to 5-2 going into Monday night's game at Seattle. It is chasing the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, and the addition of Simmons bolsters what had a been a questionable defensive line.
The Bears won the division last year for the first time since 2018, finishing with an 11-6 record in coach Ben Johnson’s first season in charge. They advanced in the playoffs by edging the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card game before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.
The pricey trade for Simmons is another signal that Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles think the team has what it takes to win the franchise's first Super Bowl title since 1985.
Asked Wednesday about his role with the NFL trade deadline coming up on Nov. 10, Johnson said there was “a lot going on.”
“That’s certainly Ryan’s domain, and yet we have constant dialogue of what this team needs and where we can impact ourselves not just this year but years in the future as well,” Johnson said. “He’s turning over every stone that he possibly can to improve this football team just like he has ever since I’ve gotten in this building and I feel really good about our process. We’ll see what happens.”
The 29-year-old Simmons has four sacks in seven games this season. He was a first-team All-Pro selection last year, when he had a career-high 11 sacks in 15 games.
“Each and every day I wake up, my goal is to just be where my feet are at,” Simmons said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of being traded, “never looking ahead right now, it’s just be in the moment, and that’s from each and every day, from game day, my goal just never changes. I don’t worry about the things I can’t control. Them types of things are a distraction.”
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AP freelance reporter Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.
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