Date of trade: Oct. 29

CHICAGO RECEIVES:

GRADE: B

TENNESSEE RECEIVES:

2027 first-round draft pick
2027 fourth-round draft pick
2028 first-round draft pick

GRADE: A

Ryan Poles finally upgraded the defensive line.

Since May, I’ve been writing that the Bears’ lack of action along the line, whether adding a DT or pass rusher, was head-scratching. The interior was particularly troubling, as the Bears have been counting on 33-year-old Grady Jarrett and journeymen Kentavius Street, Neville Gallimore and James Lynch. Coordinator Dennis Allen has made it work, but an upgrade was warranted before the operation collapsed.

Poles, never one to sit on his hands, made a massive splash.

Simmons is the type of game-changing talent who could flip a playoff game in Chicago’s favor. Already an NFC favorite to make a postseason run, the 5-2 Bears have made a move that puts them squarely in the running to hoist a Lombardi.

A beast among beasts, Simmons leads all defensive tackles with 28 quarterback pressures and is tied for second with four sacks. Notably, he’s racked up that production on a Titans team that has been behind a lot this season. Imagine the numbers he’d put up in game scripts that force more passes from the offense — we’re about to find out.

The 29-year-old isn’t just a get-up-the-field, fly-wildly-at-the-quarterback defensive tackle, either. No, no, no. Simmons is a wrecking ball to whatever unfortunate soul might be clutching the pigskin when he’s on the warpath. In addition to owning the most QB pressures among DTs, he also is tied for second with 21 run stops and tied for third with seven run stuffs, per Next Gen Stats.

There has been some chatter that his play has waned this season in Tennessee. I don’t buy it. If you haven’t seen the man with the red armband manically flying around the field in Tennessee this season, you haven’t been watching. Simmons has been every bit as good as any interior defender this season. In the Chicago spotlight, he could push his way into the DPOY conversation.

The move could tip the balance of the NFC North and the entire conference in the Bears’ favor. That’s how good Simmons is.

From a pure player-addition standpoint, it’s a home run for Poles. The issue is the compensation.

Two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder is a massive haul. It’s also notable that the fifth-round pick the Bears got back with Simmons is in 2028, not 2027.

Two first-rounders for a non-quarterback is a huge cost. I understand why Poles was willing to do it; with most of his key players on rookie contracts now, it was the time to strike. However, after he pays all those guys, including quarterback Caleb Williams, he’ll need good players on cheap rookie deals to keep things rolling.

Recent non-quarterbacks traded for multiple first-round picks include edge rusher Micah Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, safety Jamal Adams and edge Khalil Mack (to Chicago in 2018). That’s a mixed bag of results, if I’m being kind, and some outright cringey mistakes, including Gardner last year. A D-lineman isn’t a CB, but it’s still a hefty price for anyone who doesn’t sling the oblong.

The Bears doing this twice is notable. Mack didn’t bring the Bears a Super Bowl (two playoff appearances). However, the situation feels different this time: Chicago has a clear franchise difference-maker at quarterback.

The other recent comparable trade was the Dallas Cowboys sending a first- and second-rounder for interior defensive lineman Quinnen Williams at the deadline last season.

I should note that Simmons is older than every single player I mentioned above was at the time of their trade. How the DT ages will factor into what this trade looks like three years from now. If there was a parade in downtown Chicago before then, the locals won’t care about the cost of two firsts.

This was a no-brainer for the Titans. Two firsts for a non-QB for a team that isn’t one player away from contending? In a heartbeat.

Simmons was a leader and the squad’s pulse. But when you have that kind of offer, you have to pull the trigger. Tennessee isn’t a Jeffery Simmons away from being a perennial contender. His next few years would have been spent withering away during yet another rebuild, and he’d have lost trade value.

It’s going to stink for the rest of the locker room this year, as Robert Saleh’s team figures to continue struggling. However, that would be the case with or without Simmons. Until second-year QB Cam Ward morphs into a consistent difference-maker, not just a sometimes-player, the Titans won’t take a step forward. If that doesn’t happen, Tennessee will need all the first-round picks it can get to find the next guy and give him the best chance to succeed.