How Myles Garrett Impacted Jeffery Simmons' Trade to Bears from Titans Revealed in New NFL Rumors

The Cleveland Browns' decision to trade star pass-rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams this past offseason reportedly set off a process that ended with the Chicago Bears acquiring defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi used the Garrett trade as the blueprint to complete the move that sent Simmons to the Windy City.

Los Angeles traded a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2029 third-round pick and pass-rusher Jared Verse for Garrett.

"The Titans viewed Verse as the equivalent of a first-round pick for comparative purposes, and that Garrett deal formed the framework for the trade that sent Simmons to Chicago with a 2028 fifth-round pick in exchange for two first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick," Schefter explained.

Poles and Borgonzi previously worked together with the Kansas City Chiefs, so there was already a relationship in place.

It was a trade that underscored the difference between the two franchises in 2026.

The Bears are in win-now mode with a franchise quarterback in place with Caleb Williams and a defense that needed improvement if they are going to keep pace with the best teams in the NFC come playoff time.

Schefter reported Poles and Co. "studied every Super Bowl champion since 2018 and noticed that each one had an elite defensive tackle" with players such as Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, Vita Vea, Fletcher Cox, Jalen Carter and Leonard Williams all lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

As for the 1-6 Titans who are also coming off back-to-back 3-14 seasons, they are in full-on rebuilding mode and need draft capital with an eye toward the future.

According to Schefter, the AFC South team looked at the draft capital that came back in previous blockbuster deals when deciding to move Simmons. 

For example, the Detroit Lions used picks they got for Matthew Stafford to end up with Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams, while the Browns eventually got Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson and KC Concepcion after trading the No. 2 pick of the 2025 draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The end result was the Titans landing multiple first-rounders they could eventually use to help build their next contending roster and the Bears landing one of the best defensive tackles in the league as they attempt to take the next step after reaching the Divisional Round last season.

It will likely take multiple years to see the full impact of the trade, but there was reportedly plenty of research that went into the move on both sides. And some of that research included using the Garrett move from earlier this year to guide the way.