BLOCKBUSTER OUT OF NOWHERE: Bears Land Jeffery Simmons for Two First-Rounders

The Chicago Bears have acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans in a trade that sent a pair of first-round picks back to Tennessee, in one of the biggest moves ahead of the NFL's November 10 trade deadline.

The deal came together fast. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said he had fielded calls about Simmons before, but none that made him think a trade was right — until Wednesday night, October 28.

“I got a phone call late last night from a person I've known for a while, Ryan Poles, the GM from the Bears,” Borgonzi said at a press conference. “He's really the only person who came out and said 'would you accept this?'”

Borgonzi said he spoke to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk on Thursday morning before accepting the offer, weighing where Tennessee is as a team and how to sustain success in the future. He then informed Simmons, who Borgonzi said joined “a lot of people” in surprise at the news.

Simmons himself had told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that he had heard nothing leading him to expect a trade during the 2026 season — a reminder of how quickly the deal materialized. Borgonzi said Simmons didn't want to leave Tennessee, but that he believes it is a great opportunity for the veteran to compete at the highest level right now. How Borgonzi uses the two first-round picks, he acknowledged, will go a long way toward defining his tenure in Tennessee.