There's more than a week left in the November 10 trade deadline, but the Tennessee Titans
just made one of the biggest season trades. Tennessee is trading defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears
in exchange for a 2027 and 2028 first-round pick, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick.
However, as the decision to part ways with Simmons gained traction, former Tennessee defensive back Logan Ryan called out the Titans, arguing that they are not letting their players retire even though the players don't care about a poor record.
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"I was just in Nashville. I got tons of respect and love in Nashville, and they're honestly trying to reset and find the next generation, but they are not letting the great Titans retire anymore," said Ryan following Simmons' trade
. "Derrick Henry is not a Titan anymore. He got moved on. Kevin Byard, the all-time interception leader, is not retired as a Titan. He's a New England Patriot now. And now Jeff Simmons, who, if he kept this track up, could go down as one of the greatest defensive Titans ever, ever, is no longer a Titan.
"So you don't have the history of Eddie George and Jevon Kearse and all these great Titans we think about from the 2000s. There's a huge gap because all these Titans that we had in the 2016, 17s, 18s and on, Jeff Simmons and Derrick Henry, are not allowed to retire a Titan. I feel like it's so hard in modern-day football, with analytics and draft capital, to let great players play in one city and retire where they need to retire."
A franchise legend is questioning Tennessee's direction after a shocking trade. Stay on top of the Titans' biggest moves and roster decisions with EssentiallySports.
Tennessee has parted ways with several key players over the past few years. The Titans drafted running back Derrick Henry in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and after eight seasons, he moved on to the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2024 season.
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Kevin Byard also spent eight seasons in Tennessee after the Titans selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. However, in the 2023 season, the team traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 146 overall), a sixth-round pick (No. 182 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, and safety Terrell Edmunds. Byard now plays for the New England Patriots.
And now, Jeffery Simmons has also joined the list, but what bothered Ryan the most is that Simmons has been one of the most reliable defensive linemen on the Titans' defensive line ever since the team drafted him in 2019. Across his NFL career, the 29-year-old has recorded 46.5 sacks, 414 combined tackles, and 239 solo tackles.
In the first seven games of the 2026 season, he has recorded 4 sacks, 38 combined tackles, with 20 solo tackles and 18 assists. However, following a 1-6 start to the 2026 season, the Titans traded Simmons to the Bears, as the team looks to rebuild around quarterback Cam Ward.
Following the trade, the Titans' owner, Amy Adams Strunk, released a statement.
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"There are few people like Jeff Simmons," the statement read. "We are forever grateful for all he has given this team and this city. His formidable presence on the field was surpassed only by what he did off it. He gave Nashville more than football. The Give 'Em A Reason Foundation has changed lives in Middle Tennessee and in Mississippi, and I have no doubt it will continue to wherever he goes. Jeff — thank you. For how you played, how you led, and how you represented our team."
However, Logan Ryan, who spent three seasons with the Titans, revealed that he had a conversation with Jeffery Simmons. During the conversation, Simmons admitted that he wanted to stay in Nashville rather than sign with any other team despite the Titans struggling to win.
"He flew down for us, and he talked about wanting to sign an extension in Nashville," Ryan added, citing a conversation with Simmons. "And I'm like, 'Hey, you guys haven't won a ton. Why don't you go elsewhere? Did you consider that?' He's like, 'No, I want to stay in Nashville. Everything I do in the community, this is where I started.
"So some of these star players do want to stay in this city regardless of the record. I want to make that clear. He wanted to stay in Tennessee. He signed a deal to stay in Tennessee to lead the rebuild. They obviously move on and rebuild without him."
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Jeffery Simmons signed a three-year, $105.8 million deal, including $100 million guaranteed earlier this offseason, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. However, with the Titans moving on from him, Simmons will now line up for the Bears
, as Chicago is all set to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
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