The Chicago Bears cemented their playoff run on Thursday by landing one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles, sending a massive haul to the Tennessee Titans for All-Pro Jeffrey Simmons. Chicago is sending two first-round picks, and a fourth-round pick to Tennessee to Simmons — who will immediately revamp a defensive line that was in dire need of interior pressure. The Bears also got a 2028 fifth round pick back in the deal, per Adam Schefter.

It’s a major investment for the Bears, a sign that the Titans need to rebuild on defense, and the success of this team hinges on what Chicago is able to achieve in the next three-to-four years.

This is a case where the grade is completely based on the assets given up in the deal. Simmons is an incredible player, and arguably the best downfield pass rushing defensive tackle in football. This season he ranks 3rd among all DTs in pressures with 24, despite being double-teamed on almost every down because opponents of the Titans didn’t need to worry about anyone else.

With the Bears he’ll plug in on the line alongside Kentavius Street and really give the defense the beef in the middle they’ve been missing. Interior pass rush has become one of the most important elements of success in the league recently, with all the best teams boasting some pressure up the middle to collapse the pocket quickly. We’ve seen top-tier DTs become more valuable than even the best EDGE rushers, and this trade is further evidence of the changing state of football.

The rub here comes on what was given up in the process. Simmons is worth a big-time trade, but there are two factors at play:

Ultimately, this is a move that says the Bears think they’re a missing piece or two away from not just making a playoff run, but potentially winning the Super Bowl. Considering Ben Johnson’s incredible offense, and how Caleb Williams is running it — then it might be good enough if they can just get an extra two or three stops a game because of Simmons and win games via shootout.

It’s immensely painful to lose a player of Simmons’ caliber, but what are the Titans really hoping to achieve at the moment? Having him on the roster for another two years is like having a Ferrari in your driveway while living in a house with no roof and foundation damage. I really like it when teams can accept where they’re at in the process and cast en eye to the future, rather than letting top-tier talent languish on a bad roster and eventually leave for nothing.

Those draft picks will be in the back end of each round, but the Titans have to take a shotgun approach to the draft and find talent at so many different positions that there’s a dire need to gain more assets. This is a major return for a player whose brilliance wasnt enough to help a team with so many issues.