NFL1 hour ago2 minute read

How Chicago Landed Jeffery Simmons From Tennessee

Chicago acquired star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee using a recent blockbuster trade as their model.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Building the deal

Nearly every team in football asked about trading for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in recent years. Tennessee turned them all away until Chicago reached out last week.

The Bears first asked about Simmons during a joint practice last summer. Tennessee had no interest in moving the four time Pro Bowler at the time. Chicago general manager Ryan Poles called Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi on Tuesday night to try again. The two leaders previously worked together in Kansas City.

They built the trade framework using the deal that sent Myles Garrett to Los Angeles. In that trade, Cleveland got a 2027 first round pick, a 2028 second round pick, a 2029 third round pick, and pass rusher Jared Verse. Tennessee saw Verse as the value of a first round pick. That gave Chicago and Tennessee the structure they needed.

Chicago received Simmons and a 2028 fifth round pick. Tennessee received two first round picks and a 2027 fourth round pick.

Why both sides made the trade

Tennessee wanted to speed up roster growth with more draft picks. The team studied past blockbuster trades, including Detroit trading Matthew Stafford and Seattle trading Russell Wilson. Tennessee decided it needed three future premium picks to give the franchise the best chance to win.

Chicago looked at recent history before making the deal. The Bears studied every Super Bowl winner since 2018 and noticed a clear pattern. Every champion had an elite defensive tackle, including Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, Vita Vea, Fletcher Cox, Jalen Carter, and Leonard Williams.

Chicago believed Simmons could give them that same edge. Poles knows there is pressure on his front office to hit on their remaining picks, but the team felt the move was worth the price.

What it means for the next game

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals (NFL, Sun, 01 Nov): Cincinnati Bengals win 84%, Tennessee Titans win 16%; projected score Cincinnati Bengals 28, Tennessee Titans 17. Our safest pick: Bengals to win.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (NFL, Tue, 03 Nov): Seattle Seahawks win 55%, Chicago Bears win 45%; projected score Seattle Seahawks 26, Chicago Bears 22. Our safest pick: Over 39.5 points.