Jeffery Simmons trade grades: Bears earn high marks by going all-in, Titans start yet another rebuild

Two teams on completely opposite ends of the NFL food chain have pulled off a massive deal ahead of the trade deadline. The Tennessee Titans have traded All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears. 

In exchange for Simmons, the Titans are getting Chicago's 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round selection. Chicago is also getting a 2028 fifth-round pick alongside Simmons. 

Chicago (5-2) now holds arguably the NFL's best interior defensive lineman. Still only 29, Simmons has been named to four Pro Bowls since 2021. Last season, he earned All-Pro honors after setting career highs with 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. 

While the Bears are pushing all their chips to the middle of the table, Tennessee (1-6) is in full rebuild mode yet again. The trade of Simmons raises questions about some of the team's other notable players ahead of the deadline, especially running back Tony Pollard, who ran for three touchdowns during last Sunday's overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns. 

Who won the trade? Let's find out. 

Bears: A- 

Give Chicago a ton of credit for going all-in. The Bears clearly feel they have a team capable of winning it all. They wouldn't have made a trade of this magnitude if they didn't. 

By getting Simmons, the Bears have increased their odds of winning what is arguably the NFL's hardest division, which includes the league's last unbeaten team, the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings. The Bears may have won the division without Simmons, but his addition makes them the front-runner. 

This also makes the Bears a stronger Super Bowl contender while keeping pace with the 49ers, who made a splash of their own earlier this week when they traded for DeForest Buckner. Instead of standing on the sidelines, the Bears decided to respond. 

Speaking of San Francisco, this trade harkens back to the 49ers' acquisition of Fred Dean way back in 1981. Like Simmons, Dean was a star, a 29-year-old defensive lineman. That season, Dean helped lead the 49ers to their first Super Bowl title. He eventually won two Super Bowls with the 49ers during a Hall of Fame career. 

Clearly, the Bears would love to write a similar story with Simmons, who had four sacks this season with the Titans. Simmons will improve a Bears pass rush that has been good but not great. 

Yes, it came at a monstrous cost, which is why Chicago didn't receive a perfect score for this trade. Really, the only way this trade works out for the Bears is if they win a Super Bowl. It's a massive risk, but it's one that the Bears clearly feel is worth it. 

Titans: C+

The Titans can rightfully sell to their fan base the value of getting two first-round picks for a non-quarterback. It appears, however, that they valued first-round picks more than getting a player who could have helped them in the interim. 

From a picks standpoint, the return is similar to what the Cowboys received when they traded Micah Parsons to the Packers last season. The only major difference is that Tennessee didn't receive a player of similar value, whereas Dallas received defensive lineman Kenny Clark. The Titans received more picks than what the Browns got in exchange for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, but Cleveland also received Jared Verse. 

The trade sets the Titans up to draft talented players in the future, but that won't matter if they select the wrong ones. Unfortunately, the Titans' track record of maximizing their draft capital hasn't been good. 

It's also never a great thing to trade the face of your franchise. Simmons was supposed to be part of the Titans' rebuild. He still is, but probably not in the way the Titans had hoped. 

From the Titans' standpoint, the trade is an acknowledgment that this season has been and will continue to be a bust. Tennessee wasn't supposed to be very good, but it was supposed to be better than this after spending more than any team during the offseason. This trade all but guarantees that the Titans will continue to struggle during the season's final 10 games.

Jeffery Simmons trade grades: Bears keep pace with 49ers in NFC race Bryan DeArdo 3 min read

Colts are tearing it all down, but there's one major problem Ryan Wilson 8 min read

Prisco's Week 8 picks: Packers over Panthers, Lions beat Vikings Pete Prisco 6 min read

Packers over Panthers, and other picks for top Week 8 games Jordan Dajani 10 min read

NFL Week 8's five best upset opportunities: Can Lamar stun Bills? Tyler Sullivan 6 min read

Titans trade All-Pro Jeffery Simmons to Bears

Bryan DeArdo 1 min read

Ranking top NFL trade chips, from Jonathan Taylor to depth rentals Jordan Dajani 1 min read

Update on Lamar Jackson's injury status vs. Bills

Bryan DeArdo 1 min read

It wouldn't shock me if ... for NFL Week 8: Colts split Taylor's reps Tyler Sullivan 8 min read

Here's why that's a bad idea for Broncos Garrett Podell 6 min read