The Chicago Bears improved to 5-2 with a 30-24 Thursday night win over the New England Patriots, a result that kept them firmly in the NFC playoff race. One week later, the team made a major move involving defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has now explained an angle behind that move, and it points to more than what happens on the field.
Adam Schefter explains business angle behind Jeffery Simmons trade
The Chicago Bears acquired Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. Chicago sent a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Tennessee, and received a 2028 fifth-round pick back. ESPN research shows no defensive tackle in the common draft era had ever been traded for multiple first-rounders until now.
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) tosses his glove to fans after the New Orleans Saints won 34-26 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025.
The ESPN insider then spoke on NFL Live about what sits behind the deal.
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“You know, I think there’s a business element to this deal as well,” Adam Schefter said. ” And it’s not why the trade was made, but I think it does enter into the thinking of both organizations. The Bears are trying to get a new stadium, and now by adding a player like Jeffrey Simmons, it makes them even more competitive, more relevant, and maybe that helps their chances of getting a new stadium.”
Schefter believes the trade offers Tennessee optimism and Chicago momentum.
“The Titans are moving into a new stadium, and they’ve had Jeffrey Simmons on their roster, and they still can’t win games. And now they’ve added 2 picks in 2 of the more attractive drafts that we’ve seen in a little while, in 2027 and 2028. And so as much as the Titans didn’t want to move off him, I think they sold some hope to their fans today in a lost season. And with a team that has struggled recently, they get hope. The Bears get excitement. The Titans are moving into a new stadium. The Bears are hoping to move into a new stadium. There’s those elements as well.” Schefter added.
That comment moves the story beyond the depth chart. The Bears have spent months discussing a long-term stadium plan, so landing a star during a playoff push also lifts the profile of the club.
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On the field, the fit is easy to see. Simmons, 29, has 4.0 sacks and six tackles for loss through seven games. Ryan Poles said, “We are excited to welcome Jeffery Simmons and his family to Chicago,” and praised both the player and the person.
Simmons also arrives with a contract story that made this move even more surprising, and it began only a few months ago.
Simmons signed record extension months before trade
The timing adds another layer. Simmons agreed to a three-year extension worth up to $105.8 million in June, a deal that made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. On Wednesday, he told reporters that, as far as he knew, no trade was coming.
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Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi later said the Bears’ offer was the first one that made him consider moving the star. Tennessee, now 1-6, will hold two first-round picks in 2027 as it rebuilds ahead of a move into a new Nissan Stadium next year.
For Chicago, the cost is high, but the plan is clear. Simmons now joins quarterback Caleb Williams, who is 3-1 in games he has started this season, as the Bears chase a deep January run.
Chicago (5-2) now turns to a Monday Night Football road game at reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (4-3), where Simmons could make his debut. Tennessee visits Cincinnati (4-2) on Sunday, its first game since trading its best player.
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The post NFL Insider Reveals the Business Factors Behind Jeffery Simmons’ Trade to Bears appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
