A new Monster of the Midway has arrived. On Thursday, the Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick. The Titans also sent back a 2028 fifth-round pick back to the Bears.

Simmons is one of the premier defensive linemen in the league. Selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons became a game wrecker for the Titans and broke out in his third season with 8.5 sacks and 12 tackle for loss, while earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time.

Now in his eighth season, Simmons has totaled 46.5 sacks, the second-most among defensive tackles since 2020, trailing only DeForest Buckner. He currently has four sacks, six tackles for loss, and 24 total pressures through seven games this season and leads all defensive tackles in win rate, according to ESPN.

Outside of the 2023 No. 1 pick blockbuster trade, this is the biggest move of general manager Ryan Poles' Bears tenure. Simmons instantly elevates the entire defense, but was he worth the cost of two first-round picks as well as a fourth? Here is our initial grade of the trade:

Trade details

• • DT Jeffery Simmons

  • 2028 fifth-round pick

• • 2027 first-round pick

  • 2027 fourth-round pick

  • 2028 first-round pick

Initial grade: A-

What a trade by Poles and the Bears. This is the type of move we had yet to see from this regime but always seems to come sooner or later with every general manager. The type of trade where you're ready to push your chips into the middle of the pile and surrender multiple years of draft capital for the player (or pick) you believe will put your organization near the top. Timing is everything with these types of trades, and the Bears struck at the perfect moment with a Super Bowl championship firmly within reach.

The Bears are investing in one of the premier defensive players in football and adding him to a team that has already proven itself enough as a winner with a core group instilled. They hit on the head coach, have a quarterback that is arguably a top-five signal caller in the NFL with a dependable group of weapons around him, and have a defense that has been able to get by thanks to excellent coaching.

As for Simmons himself, he's arguably the best player at his position. He possesses a rare blend of athleticism, speed, strength, and tenacity that you rarely see with defensive tackles. There is a laundry list of statistics and categories that Simmons is at or near the top of at his position, including sacks (15), pressures (85), pressures when doubled teamed (28), tackles for loss (23), quick pressures (31), and turnovers caused by pressure (six), according to Next Gen Stats. Simply put, he's in the conversation when it comes to the best defensive tackles not named Aaron Donald over the last 15 years.

And speaking of Donald, he's a prime example of how an elite defensive tackle can transform a defense. When you have someone creating chaos up the middle, it frees up everyone else on the outside and limits what an offense can do. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had to get creative when dialing up pressure. Imagine what he's going to have up his sleeve now that Simmons is drawing so much attention. Players like Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, and many others are going to benefit from his presence.

The only thing keeping this trade from earning an A+ grade is the fact the Bears surrendered two first-round picks for a player who will only play half a season before he turns 30. It's a bit of a gamble, and the Bears paid a hefty price. That's the way these blockbusters go, though. But if the Bears continue to be one of the better teams in the NFL, those first-round picks will be in the 20s, which aren't nearly as valuable as a top-10 pick.

Part of the reason for the high compensation is the fact the Titans paid Simmons a $20 million signing bonus following his extension over the summer. That leaves the Bears covering just $8 million in 2026 and $27 million in 2027. Had they acquired Simmons and then extended him, they would have paid significantly more. The Bears could afford Simmons' salary this season and will have plenty of room to maneuver next offseason to manage his $27 million cap hit.

All in all, this trade brings back memories of the 2018 Khalil Mack deal, which was extremely impactful for the Bears. Mack produced on defense, and Chicago had three straight non-losing seasons with two playoff appearances during his four-year tenure. The problem was the Bears bet on an unproven head coach-quarterback combo while mortgaging their future to acquire and pay Mack. Simmons is going to a team where those unknowns don't exist. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have shown enough in a season and a half together to know they are a winning combination, and many of the other pieces around them are already in place for the foreseeable future.

Instead of hoping the pieces are in place like they did in 2018, they know they have a winning team that Simmons can add to as a focal point. The window to win is wide open, and the Bears burst through it like Simmons when he blows past offensive linemen in the A gap.