Bears Pay Two First-Rounders for Jeffery Simmons, and the Titans Line Has Ballooned

Bears Trade Two First-Round Picks to Tennessee for Jeffery Simmons

Chicago acquired four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee in exchange for two first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick, with the Titans also sending a 2028 fifth-round pick, ESPN reported Sunday. A Titans source told ESPN that "close to the entire league" had inquired about Simmons in recent seasons and that Tennessee turned all of them away until Chicago called.

According to ESPN's sources, Bears general manager Ryan Poles reached out again Tuesday night to Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, whom he worked with in Kansas City. The two sides built the package off the Rams-Browns Myles Garrett trade, in which Cleveland received a 2027 first, a 2028 second, a 2029 third and pass rusher Jared Verse. The Titans viewed Verse as the equivalent of a first-round pick.

ESPN also reported that the Bears studied every Super Bowl champion since 2018 and found that each had an elite defensive tackle.

Titans at Bengals Odds: What the Market Did

Tennessee plays at Cincinnati at 1:00 PM ET today, and the line is far from where it opened. Per ESPN's odds feed (DraftKings) as of November 1 at 9:00 AM ET:

The feed does not say why a line moved, so everything after this table is our reading and not a reported cause.

Our Read: What a Star Trade Means for a 1-6 Team

• The Titans chose picks over wins. Tennessee is 1-6, and ESPN says the team felt it needed to accelerate roster growth through draft capital. A seller does not need to field its best defense this week.
• The line may be pricing the roster. We cannot tell from the feed whether the six-point jump reflects Simmons leaving, other news or plain betting volume. Losing a defensive anchor is one plausible piece.
• The comparison deals cut both ways. ESPN cited the Stafford, Wilson and Browns-Jaguars trades as models, and each looked lopsided only years later. Two firsts is a bet on the Titans' drafting, no sure thing.
• Chicago now carries the pressure. With three picks gone, ESPN noted Poles must hit on the rest of his picks. That is a real cost, though it matters over seasons, not one Sunday.

This is not a case for either side of the game. It is a reminder that a trade changes a roster before it changes a record.

What to Watch Today and This Week

• Who lines up at defensive tackle for Tennessee against a Cincinnati offense favored by more than two touchdowns.
• Whether the Bengals line holds near 12.5 before kickoff or moves again.
• When Simmons is expected to debut for Chicago and how the Bears use him.
• Whether other teams with high-profile defenders at the deadline follow with similar packages.

See our NFL odds hub for lines, moneyline math and the no-vig calculator

Odds describe a price and not an outcome. Set a limit before you bet, and bet only where it is legal.

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