The Bears completed a blockbuster midseason trade, bringing in defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons for a package that included two first-round picks.

General Manager Ryan Poles told reporters in a Friday press conference that given what Simmons meant to the Titans, he didn’t necessarily think the franchise would part with him. But the club believes the defensive tackle can help Chicago now and into the future, given that he’s already under contract through 2030.

But Poles also wanted to make it clear that the franchise is being measured with its approach to utilizing picks to acquire premium players.

“One thing I want to hit, I know it’s kind of a joke that goes around, but, ‘F them picks’ is like a big thing — that’s really not what we’re about,” Poles said. “I know it took a lot to get this done, but we absolutely believe that the draft and bringing [in] young talent is the way you sustain success around here.

“I’m challenging myself and our crew, for the picks that we do have, we have to hit. We have to be great with our undrafted free agent process. And whatever tier of free agency we’re working in, which we’ll have constraints, we have to hit there, too.”

But Simmons is expected to make the Bears better on and off the field, with Poles expressing a belief in how the veteran defender can positively impact the club’s culture.

“His intensity that he brings to the football field, he has a certain standard of how you play this game,” Poles said. “He lives that. He models that behavior. I think that when you don’t live that, he’s a guy that makes it a little bit uncomfortable for you, too, which is important. I don’t know that we have that right now, and we do with him, adding him.

“When your phone blows up, and you have coaches, players, people that have been with him that talk about what he means to a football team, to the culture, you know exactly what he’s going to do.”

Simmons recorded a career-high 11.0 sacks last season — the first time he’d reached double-digit sacks in his career. He has tallied 4.0 sacks, six tackles for loss, and nine QB hits in seven games so far in 2026.

Poles noted that he’s assuming Simmons will play in Monday night’s matchup with the Seahawks.