Jeffery Simmons 'Didn't Want to Leave' Titans Amid Blockbuster Bears Trade, GM Says

All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was surprised by the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Tennessee Titans to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, with Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi stating that Simmons "didn't want to leave" the organization.

Borgonzi recounted the conversation with Simmons as "really hard," emphasizing that the player had not expressed a desire for a trade. "I thanked him for everything he's done here and, you know, on and off the field. It's a really hard conversation," Borgonzi told reporters. He added that he viewed the move as a "great opportunity for him" to compete for a Super Bowl with the Bears.

The Titans, currently in a rebuilding phase under first-year head coach Robert Saleh with a 1-6 record, received first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, in exchange for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick.

Borgonzi indicated that the idea of trading the 29-year-old Simmons "never really crossed my mind" until he received a call late Wednesday night from Bears General Manager Ryan Poles. After discussing the offer with Saleh and team owner Amy Adams-Strunk, the team decided to proceed with the transaction.

"At no point anytime since I've been here did we ever try to trade Jeffrey Simmons," Borgonzi stated. "We've gotten a lot of phone calls on Jeff, really since I've been hired here [in January 2025], but it's never really crossed my mind. And I got a phone call late last night from a person that I've known for a while, Ryan Poles... We considered the compensation, and it was too good to pass up."

Saleh acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, noting that "everything about [trading Simmons] sucks," but the offered compensation from Chicago was too substantial to refuse. "I told our guys, when you don't close out games and you're standing here at 1-6 teams are going to start fishing," Saleh said Thursday. "And eventually a team threw a hook big enough that I don't think any of us could have said no to."

Simmons has played his entire NFL career with the Titans since being selected 19th overall in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Just the day before the trade, Simmons told reporters he wanted to remain in Tennessee and was unaware of any trade discussions.

Simmons signed a three-year, $105 million contract extension with the Titans in June, which extends his contract through the 2029 season. He recorded a career-high 11 sacks last season and was named a first-team All-Pro. Over his career, he has amassed 46.5 sacks, 72 tackles for loss, and 96 quarterback hits.

He could potentially make his debut with the Bears in their "Monday Night Football" game against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.