Robert Saleh Says Titans Trading Jeffery Simmons Was Necessary

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh got to work with Jeffery Simmons for half a season before he was traded. 

Around this time last year, the Titans were firing Brian Callahan, and now they have made another massive move. The Titans decided to trade Simmons to the Chicago Bears for three draft picks. 

The Titans received a first-round pick in 2027 and 2028, as well as a fourth-round pick in 2027. Tennessee sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to Chicago in return. 

Simmons is taking plenty of production with him. Not only as a pass rusher, but as a backfield threat as well. He had 38 total tackles, four sacks, six TFLs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season. 

Tennessee also loses a leader in the locker room with the trade. It will be hard for the team to find a player like him who was so versatile. 

His impact on and off the field will definitely be missed by the Titans. 

Robert Saleh was planning to hold a press conference as usual on Thursday, but the Simmons news took priority. 

Saleh stated that it was necessary for the Titans to trade Simmons. He believed that this would give other players an opportunity to step up. 

"It's tough. Like, you know, one, Jeff is an elite football player. He's an even better person. People really don't know Jeff. You know, I've always been a believer that money already makes you more of what you are. He's an elite leader. I've been outspoken on that. It sucks. Everything about it sucks. Unfortunately, necessary. There's nothing to sell to anybody. It is what it is. This is the hard part of our business. But at the same time, there is opportunity for guys to step up. There's gonna be more opportunities for Keldric to get on the field on third-down situations. There's gonna be more opportunities for Femi to get out there. There's just gonna be more opportunities for more guys in the D-line room. We're looking forward to seeing who comes out of it shining." 

This is one of the toughest parts of the NFL. Teams that are struggling, like the Titans, are going to be motivated to trade their best players in the hopes of gaining draft capital for a rebuild. 

The Titans are 1-6, and the Bears are 5-2 and competing for a playoff spot in the NFC North. The Bears currently have a top-five seed in the NFC, whereas the Titans have the No. 2 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

It's a tale of two franchises trending in two completely different directions. 

Now, it's going to be up to the remaining veteran leaders on this team. Whether that's John Franklin-Myers on the defensive line or someone like Amani Hooker, who is now one of the longest-tenured players in the organization, someone will have to step up in Simmons' absence going forward. 

It will be hard to replace a player like Simmons. The Titans got their money's worth, but that can't replace the impact that Simmons had on the field. 

Last year, he quite literally carried the Titans' pass rush. Now, the Titans have a huge hole on the defensive line. 

It'll be interesting to see what comes of this team after losing one of their locker room leaders.