The Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and several teams have already made moves. Thursday’s biggest trade came from the Chicago Bears, who sent two first-round picks plus a fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Jeffery Simmons and a fifth-round selection in 2028.

The Bears clearly took a big step forward, adding Simmons, who ranks first in the NFL among defensive tackles with a 97.2 PFN DT Impact Score, to a defense that already ranks ninth in points allowed. Though some would argue they paid too much. Others can’t believe the Titans traded arguably their best player.

NFL Fans React to Tennessee Titans Dropping the Ball in Jeffery Simmons Trade

While Thursday’s trade came as a surprise to the Titans’ fan base, the move also came as a shock to Simmons, who, according to Tennessee’s general manager Mike Borgonzi, didn’t want to be traded to another team.

One commenter reacting to the trade on X called it a “terrible look for this joke of a team.”

Another felt like trading one of the best players at his position away from a team stuck smack-dab in the middle of a rebuild is an “all-time low” for the Titans as a franchise.

“Man, this makes it hurt a million times worse. This is an all-time low for this Franchise.”

One person who watched the clip from Borgonzi’s press conference said, “That’s the face of a man with no real autonomy that is getting crushed by ownership.”

Meanwhile, one person who’s been a Titans fan for 30 years now says they’ve “never been more close to jumping ship.”

While every NFL player wants to be in a place where they can compete for a Super Bowl, the 29-year-old Simmons genuinely seemed to want to be there to play a key role in this franchise’s turnaround, whenever that may be.

“He really wanted to turn it around. I get it man. That’s tuff (tough),” a fan said.

Meanwhile, one fan saw Simmons’ commitment as a sign. Perhaps one day the First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle will want to return to the Titans:

“He truly loves this franchise and city man. Oh my gosh, we’re bringing him back before he retires.”

Another saw Borgonzi’s take on the Simmons situation and said Simmons’ commitment to the team makes his departure “even worse.”

Often, players don’t want to stick around on a rebuilding team, especially aging veterans at the top of their game, like Simmons. Yet, that didn’t seem to be the case here with the four-time Pro Bowl DT.

Plus, it’s not like he was on an expiring contract. The Titans had Simmons under contract through 2030 prior to the trade, so Tennessee was not facing an imminent contract decision when it chose to trade its star defensive tackle.