Jeffery Simmons Trade: Bears Land All-Pro DT From Titans
The Bears are trading two first-round picks for Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The full trade details, his contract, his stats and what it means.
The short answer
The Chicago Bears are acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Tennessee gets 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-round pick, and Chicago also gets a 2028 fifth-round pick. Simmons, 29, is under contract through 2030 on a three-year, $105.8 million extension with $100 million guaranteed.
Key takeaways
- The deal: the Bears get Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick; the Titans get 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick, per ESPN.
- The contract: a three-year, $105.8 million extension signed in June with $100 million guaranteed, running through the 2030 season.
- The player: a first-team All-Pro in 2025 with a career-high 11 sacks, a four-time Pro Bowler with 46.5 career sacks.
- This season: four sacks, 38 tackles and 28 pressures in seven games, the most pressures among defensive tackles per NFL Next Gen Stats.
- Timing: the trade came before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline, with the Bears at 5-2 and the Titans at 1-6.
In this article
One of the biggest trades of the 2026 NFL season just landed in Chicago. The Bears are acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, ESPN reported. Chicago is paying a steep price, two first-round picks, for one of the most disruptive interior linemen in football.
The Jeffery Simmons trade details
What each team gets
The trade, as reported by ESPN and NFL.com:
| Team | Receives |
|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | DT Jeffery Simmons, 2028 fifth-round pick |
| Tennessee Titans | 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick |
The deal was reported through sources, so it still needs to be finalized by the league before it becomes official.
Where the teams stand
The two franchises are heading in opposite directions. The Bears are 5-2 and have won four of their last five games, sitting second in the NFC North behind the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, Yahoo Sports noted. The Titans are 1-6, which makes future draft picks more valuable to them than a veteran star.
Jeffery Simmons' contract
Simmons signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension with $100 million guaranteed with the Titans in June, according to ESPN. He is under contract through the 2030 season, so the Bears are not renting him for a playoff push. They are adding a long-term cornerstone at 29 years old.
That guaranteed money is a big reason the price was two first-rounders. Chicago gets a player locked in for several seasons, and Tennessee gets draft capital to rebuild around.
Who is Jeffery Simmons? Stats and career
A proven pass rusher from the inside
Simmons was a first-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2019. Here is a snapshot of his production, based on ESPN and Yahoo Sports:
| Career and 2026 numbers | Jeffery Simmons |
|---|---|
| Career sacks (8 seasons) | 46.5 |
| Career games | 106 |
| Career total tackles | 414 |
| Career tackles for loss | 72 |
| 2025 sacks (career high) | 11 |
| 2026 sacks (7 games) | 4 |
| 2026 total tackles | 38 |
| Pro Bowls | 4 |
He was a first-team All-Pro in 2025, the first of his career, NFL.com reported.
Still dominant this season
Simmons has been producing even on a struggling team. He has 28 pressures this season, the most among defensive tackles according to NFL Next Gen Stats, including 10 pressures and three sacks when double-teamed, both the most at his position, ESPN reported. He also led the Titans in sacks (4), tackles for loss (6) and passes defended (4), and had one forced fumble, per ESPN and Yahoo Sports.
He has also been a leader in Tennessee. Simmons was elected a Titans team captain for the sixth straight season in September, ESPN said.
What the trade means for the Bears
A stacked defensive line
Simmons joins a Chicago defense that was already playing well. Through seven weeks, the Bears had allowed the eighth-fewest total yards (313.4 per game), the third-fewest rushing yards (87.6) and the ninth-fewest points (20.4), while recording the fifth-most sacks (18), according to Yahoo Sports.
He will also be reunited with Montez Sweat, his former teammate at Mississippi State, on the Bears' defensive line, ESPN reported.
An all-in bet on 2026 and beyond
Trading two first-round picks is a clear sign that Chicago sees itself as a contender now. Because Simmons is signed through 2030, the move is also a bet that the Bears' window stays open for several years.
What the trade means for the Titans
A big hole in the middle
Simmons played 86.6% of Tennessee's defensive snaps, ESPN reported, so his departure leaves a large gap on the interior of the defense. The Titans plan to turn to a rotation led by veterans Solomon Thomas and John Franklin-Myers at defensive tackle.
A surprise to the player
The move came quickly. As his name kept popping up in trade rumors, Simmons said this week that he had not heard anything from the organization and expected to stay in Tennessee, Yahoo Sports reported. For a 1-6 team, though, two first-round picks plus a fourth-rounder is a major haul to build its next roster.
When is the NFL trade deadline?
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10, according to Yahoo Sports. That leaves teams about 12 more days to make deals. Until a trade is reported by reliable sources or announced by the teams involved, treat other names in the rumor mill as speculation.
The bottom line
The Bears are betting big that Jeffery Simmons, a 29-year-old All-Pro with 46.5 career sacks and a contract through 2030, can push a 5-2 team into a real Super Bowl contender. The Titans are taking two first-round picks and starting over in the middle of their defensive line. With the trade deadline on Nov. 10, this may not be the last blockbuster before the market closes. For more NFL coverage, see what went wrong in the Chiefs' 20-3 loss to Seattle and what's next on the Cowboys' 2026 schedule.
Frequently asked questions
- Did the Bears trade for Jeffery Simmons?
- Yes. The Chicago Bears are acquiring defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. The trade was reported by sources and still has to become official.
- What did the Bears give up for Jeffery Simmons?
- Chicago is sending its 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Tennessee. The Bears also receive a 2028 fifth-round pick along with Simmons, according to ESPN and NFL.com.
- What is Jeffery Simmons' contract?
- Simmons signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension with the Titans in June 2026 that includes $100 million guaranteed, ESPN reported. He is under contract through the 2030 season, and the Bears take on that deal.
- How old is Jeffery Simmons and where did he go to college?
- Simmons is 29. He played at Mississippi State, and the Titans drafted him in the first round in 2019. At Mississippi State he was teammates with Montez Sweat, who now plays on the Bears' defensive line.
- When is the NFL trade deadline in 2026?
- The 2026 NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10, according to Yahoo Sports. Teams can keep making trades until then, so more moves are possible.
Sources
- Sources: Bears acquire All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons in trade with Titans · ESPN, Oct. 29, 2026
- NFL Network: Bears acquiring DT Jeffery Simmons from Titans in blockbuster trade · NFL.com, Oct. 29, 2026
- Bears reportedly acquiring DT Jeffery Simmons from Titans · Yahoo Sports, Oct. 29, 2026
About the author
Editorial team
The TrendCanopy editorial team researches what Americans are searching for, checks the facts against primary sources and publishes clear, sourced explainers.
Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or contact us. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.
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