After the San Francisco 49ers brought back DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts, it's the Chicago Bears' turn to trade for a defensive stud from the AFC South as they landed Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. The Bears traded two first-round picks and a fourth rounder for Simmons as they look to become serious contenders in the NFC.

A rival NFC general manager texted Jordan Schultz praising Chicago's aggressiveness in trading for Simmons.

“Respect to the Bears for doing that. That offense with this defense now makes them a Super Bowl roster for this year and for years to come without a doubt,” the GM said, per Schultz.

Simmons was drafted by the Titans No. 19 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. After an injury-shortened rookie season, Simmons emerged as one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL. From 2021-2025, he had 37.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl four times. Last season, he posted a career-best 11.0 sacks in just 15 games as he made First Team All-Pro for the first time. This season, he has 4.0 sacks in seven games with the Titans.

Article Continues Below

Simmons will now join a Bears defense that has not had that much trouble getting to the quarterback. They've recorded 19 sacks, which is tied for seventh in the league. However, they are still allowing a good deal of big pass plays.

Shoring up the defense with Simmons would be a huge boost to a Bears team that already has a prolific offense led by a highly talented quarterback in Caleb Williams. On paper, that combination has the potential to see the Bears seriously compete for their first Super Bowl berth since the 2006 season.