How the Jeffery Simmons trade came to be (0:40)

Turron Davenport Oct 30, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

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Turron Davenport covers the Tennessee Titans for ESPN since 2018. Turron is a former collegiate football player at Cheyney University and is a native of Philadelphia, and he has authored/co-authored four books. You can catch Turron on ESPN Radio on his show "Talking with TD."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said he fielded numerous calls from other teams to trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons as he took over as Tennessee's general manager in 2024. Borgonzi didn't take any offers seriously because he had no intentions of trading the team's All-Pro player.

Trading Simmons wasn't on Borgonzi's bingo card when he awoke Wednesday. Then he received a call from Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, whom he had worked with in the Kansas City Chiefs ' personnel department from 2009-21.…