Blockbuster Trade: Titans Deal DT Jeffery Simmons to Bears

The Tennessee Titans shocked the NFL world on Thursday morning. 

The team is 1-6 after losing to the Cleveland Browns on a game-winning field goal. 

After another loss, it was apparent that the Titans were going to be getting calls on some of their top players. Jeffery Simmons was in the news after rumors began swirling about a trade to the Chicago Bears on Wednesday. 

Those rumors were unfounded until the next day. Simmons himself denied the rumors, stating that he hadn't heard from his agent or the team about a trade.

That all changed, as ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news that the Titans were dealing Simmons to the Chicago Bears. 

The trade terms came out shortly after the news broke. The Titans are getting first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, plus a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Bears were sent a 2027 fifth-round pick by the Titans. 

It's unfortunate that Simmons was traded, but here's how we got to this point. 

Simmons was drafted in the first round by the Titans in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. In his first year, the Titans had massive success under head coach Mike Vrabel. 

The Titans made a run that postseason after finishing the regular season at 9-7. The Titans started by beating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the road. 

Then, the team traveled to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson. The Titans stunned the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship Game. 

Tennessee was on the verge of heading to its first Super Bowl since the 1999 season. However, the Kansas City Chiefs were too much, and the Titans lost 35-24. 

The franchise went to the playoffs the next two seasons and then things started to change for the worse. 

In 2022, the Titans were leading the AFC South after a 7-3 start through 10 games. The Titans then lost their next seven games to miss the playoffs entirely. The team finished 6-11 in 2023 and then fired Vrabel. 

The Titans hired Brian Callahan, but he didn't make it two full seasons before being fired. The team went 3-14 in 2024 and 2025.  

After a 1-6 start in 2026, the Titans are gathering as much draft capital as possible. It's a sad day in Music City. 

Simmons meant so much to this franchise and was, without a doubt, a leader in the locker room. What he did on the field and in the Nashville community is going to be hard to replace. 

This is an unfortunate reality of going through a rebuild like the Titans are. Simmons was off to a great start this year, meaning that other contending teams were going to take notice. 

Simmons is going from the Music City to the Windy City.