Chicago Bears trade for Titans’ Simmons
Trending
CHICAGO -- This new addition for the Monsters of the Midway certainly lives up to the nickname.
The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.
The Bears sent their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a fourth-rounder in next year's draft, to the Titans for Simmons and a fifth-round selection in 2028.
Led by Caleb Williams, Chicago has won two in a row to improve to 5-2 going into Monday night's game at Seattle. It is chasing the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, and the addition of Simmons bolsters what had been a questionable defensive line.
The 29-year-old Simmons has four sacks in seven games this season. He leads all defensive tackles with 28 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, and he is the only player in the league who has earned three sacks against double teams.
"Jeff has been an elite player here in this organization, both on and off the field," Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said. "My respect and admiration for him is probably more than any player I've really been around. Just to see the work that he puts in every day, his leadership here the past year and a half that I've been here. These are tough decisions."
The Bears won the division last year for the first time since 2018, finishing with an 11-6 record in coach Ben Johnson's first season in charge. They advanced in the playoffs by edging the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card game before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.
The pricey trade for Simmons is another signal that Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles think the team has what it takes to win the franchise's first Super Bowl title since the 1985 season.
Asked Wednesday about his role with the NFL trade deadline coming up on Nov. 10, Johnson said there was "a lot going on."
"That's certainly Ryan's domain, and yet we have constant dialogue of what this team needs and where we can impact ourselves not just this year but years in the future as well," Johnson said.
June Jones dies
June Jones, the cutting-edge coach who brought the run-and-shoot offense to Hawaii and led the Rainbow Warriors to their greatest era and an undefeated regular season that catapulted them all the way to the Sugar Bowl, died on Thursday. He was 73.
Hawaii's football program in a statement did not list a cause of death for Jones, who coached the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons in the 1990s before his stint at Hawaii. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser cited a close family friend as saying Jones had entered hospice two weeks ago in his native Oregon.
"Coach Jones was a father figure, a mentor, and a visionary who revolutionized the game," said Timmy Chang, the current Hawaii coach who set the NCAA record for career passing yards (since broken) under Jones. "He believed in a young kid from Hawaii and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to run his offense."
Hawaii was one of three schools where Jones played quarterback in college, but it was his decision to transfer to Portland State that shaped the rest of his football career.
He played under Mouse Davis, who is largely credited with bringing to the big-time an offense that featured four receivers who adjusted their routes on the fly, rarely ran the football and, most of all, moved fast.
It was dubbed the run-and-shoot. Jerry Glanville, Wayne Fontes, Jack Pardee and Kevin Gilbride were among the few willing to throw out convention and use it. Jones might have had the most success.
After spending time in the 1980s with the Falcons, mostly as the third-string quarterback, Jones worked his way through assistant coaching jobs, landing with Glanville (and QB Warren Moon) of the Houston Oilers in 1987. In 1991, Jones joined Glanville with the Falcons, then took over when Glanville got fired.
"A visionary in the passing game," the Falcons called Jones in a statement Thursday.
Butker still No. 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub was unequivocal Thursday that Harrison Butker remains their preferred kicker, one day after the team signed five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker to its practice squad after a season spent out of the NFL.
Tucker spent most of last year serving a 10-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He had been released by the Ravens, where Tucker spent 13 seasons, after The Baltimore Banner reported in 2025 that he was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists at high-end spas; the kicker called those allegations "unequivocally false" and "tabloid fodder."
The Chiefs also worked out Ben Sauls and Harrison Mevis.
Packers get win
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes, Josh Jacobs scored twice and the Green Bay Packers withstood three turnovers to beat the Carolina Panthers 27-19 on Thursday night.
Love went 30 of 41 for 288 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden and Jacobs plus an interception. Although he rushed for only 39 yards on 21 carries against the NFL's lowest-ranked run defense, Jacobs scored on a 4-yard catch and 1-yard run.
After trailing 27-10 in the third quarter, Carolina cut Green Bay's lead to 27-19 on Bryce Young's 26-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker on a fourth-and-3 play with 5:37 remaining. Young's ensuing 2-point conversion pass was incomplete.
The Panthers (3-4) got the ball back at their own 45 before losing the ball on downs at midfield with 2:41 remaining. Carolina got one last chance from its own 20 with 22 seconds and no timeouts remaining, but Dani Dennis-Sutton's sack essentially ended any comeback hopes.
Young went 23 of 31 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Carolina's Chuba Hubbard had 22 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown and seven catches for 38 yards.
Green Bay's Christian Watson returned to the game after hurting his chest while making a 53-yard catch in the second quarter, causing him to get taken to the hospital. Carolina cornerback Will Lee hurt his hamstring while diving to make a tackle on the same play, and he got carted into the locker room.
Carolina already has three other cornerbacks on injured reserve: Akayleb Evans (triceps/knee), Mike Jackson (groin) and Jaycee Horn (quadriceps).
After fumbling the opening kickoff to set up a Carolina field goal and going three-and-out on their first series, the Packers (5-3) scored touchdowns on three of their next four possessions to take command.
Love threw a 12-yard touchdown pass across the middle to Kraft on a third-and-8 play to put Green Bay ahead 6-3, as struggling rookie Trey Smack's extra-point attempt bounced off the left upright.
Watson's 53-yard catch set up a Jacobs touchdown run that put Green Bay ahead for good, 13-10 early in the second quarter. One play after dropping a potential touchdown pass, Golden caught a 24-yarder in the left corner of the end zone on third-and-13 to make it 20-10.
Carolina got the ball to start the second half, but Chris McClellan and Evan Williams stopped Hubbard a yard short on fourth-and-2 from midfield. On Green Bay's ensuing drive, Love found Jacobs to extend the lead to 27-10.
Green Bay led 27-13 and had the ball on Carolina's 28 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter when Love threw a pass to Golden that Zakee Wheatley intercepted in the end zone.
That turnover sparked Carolina's comeback attempt that ultimately fell short.