Bears GM Ryan Poles named a trade deadline winner as Simmons price looks better

The Chicago Bears made their big move before the rest of the league went shopping. Now general manager Ryan Poles is getting some credit for the price he paid.

In ESPN's review of the 2026 trade deadline, Ben Solak named Poles one of his winners. Chicago did nothing new at the deadline. What changed is how the market made his earlier deal look. The Bears sent two first-round picks to Tennessee for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and Solak called that a steep cost however you look at it. Then Jacksonville gave Philadelphia a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-rounder for Jordan Davis. Solak described Davis as mostly an early-down run stuffer who has added little as a pass rusher.

The production gap supports that view. According to ESPN, Simmons leads all defensive tackles with six sacks, while Davis is tied for 35th with 1.5. Solak also argued that Simmons plays more snaps, plays more of the snaps that matter most and has been the steadier producer. His conclusion was that the playoffs will decide how both trades are remembered, but that "the Bears sure got a lot of cover this week."

The same ESPN piece shows how the NFC North shifted around Chicago. Minnesota, which Solak lists at 6-2, brought back Kirk Cousins from Las Vegas to reunite him with coach Kevin O'Connell and receiver Justin Jefferson. Solak described the Vikings' defense as the league's best and most distinctive unit, and he argued that a steady quarterback could make Minnesota a playoff threat. The Vikings handed the Bears one of their two losses, 9-3 at Soldier Field. That means the division race Simmons was brought in to help win now runs through a rival that has just fixed its biggest weakness.

Tennessee also finished its deadline as a seller. After collecting Chicago's two firsts, the Titans sent safety Amani Hooker to Buffalo for a second-round pick. ESPN reports that the Titans now own four of the top 64 picks in the 2027 draft.

What it means for Sunday against New Orleans

Whatever the draft-pick accounting says, the Bears are 7-2 and playing like a team that intends to use its window. They have won four straight. The last three came by 3 points over Tampa Bay, 17 at Seattle and 6 over New England, and the Atlanta win before that was by 8. Since the 9-3 loss to Minnesota in Week 2, Chicago is 6-1, and the only blemish is a 31-7 loss at Green Bay.

The Bears have scored 241 points and allowed 184 through nine games, a margin of 57 points. That works out to about 26.8 points scored and 20.4 allowed per game, but the first two figures are distorted by a 59-37 shootout at Carolina in the opener. Over the last four games the defense has given up 22 points per game, so there is room for a sack leader on the interior to make a difference.

Next up is New Orleans at home on Sunday, November 22, on Fox. Chicago is 4-1 at home this season, and its only home loss was the low-scoring game against the Vikings. With Minnesota now upgraded at quarterback, the Bears have less margin for error in the division. The Saints game is one they are expected to win.

Full schedule and season results are on the Bears team page.