The Kansas City Chiefs have a significant need along the defensive line, but could turn the unit into a powerhouse with the right trade ahead of the NFL deadline.
The Tennessee Titans are 1-7 with a rookie quarterback and an interim head coach — the definition of a deadline seller. This year’s No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is definitely not on the table, while three-time Pro Bowler and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons also appears potentially off-limits. But what if he isn’t?
“The Tennessee defensive lineman has been one of the best at his position this season, if not among the better defenders in football,” Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus wrote Tuesday, October 28. “He leads qualified interior defenders in PFF pass-rushing grade (91.1) and pass-rush win rate (19.3%), with both figures in the top 11 among all qualified defensive linemen.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote Wednesday that Simmons “maybe” isn’t available, while Graziano’s colleague Bill Barnwell chimed in Thursday that the defensive tackle is one of just a handful of players the Titans “should” hold onto through the deadline.
But Locker pointed out that Simmons can potentially bring back the same trade haul as a middle-of-the-road starting quarterback, which is not something to ignore with regards to a 28-year-old interior defensive lineman playing in his seventh season — particularly when the timeline in Tennessee doesn’t have the Titans competitive for another couple of seasons, at the earliest.
“The ransom fetched for Simmons would be tremendous, likely worth at least one first-round pick,” Locker continued.
Chris Jones, Jeffrey Simmons Would Be Elite D-Line Pairing
GettyTennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
Kansas City has won five of six games, including three in a row, and is again looking like the team that has been to seven consecutive AFC Championship Games and three straight Super Bowls.
Because of that, the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2026 is liable to end up lower than most, and any deal for a player of Simmons’ caliber would probably necessitate Kansas City throwing in a mid-rounder — perhaps something in the late-Day 2 range.
But pairing Simmons alongside superstar Chris Jones is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around often. Jones is having something of a down season overall, but he remains a tremendous pocket disruptor up the middle. Pro Football Focus ranks Jones as the No. 3 interior defender in pass-rush grade (84.0) out of 128 players at the position who qualify.
And Simmons is one of only two DIs better at pressuring QBs, slotting in at first place in that category.
Jeffrey Simmons Would Fill 2 Needs for Chiefs in 1 Move
GettyTennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
Simmons is also well above-average as a run defender from the middle of the line, which would offer the Chiefs a huge upgrade in that phase of the game.
“The Chiefs have a need on the edge, but a bigger need might be an upgrade on Derrick Nnadi, who is last among qualifying defensive tackles with a 13.2% run stop win rate,” Aaron Schatz of ESPN wrote Wednesday. “He also has a 0% pass rush win rate, though he plays only a handful of clear pass-play snaps per game.”
Kansas City would greatly improve its pass-rush by adding Simmons, while also upping the run defense. A deal wouldn’t mean the Chiefs couldn’t go out and look for an edge-rusher, but they might not need as impactful/expensive of a player at that spot if they spend big on Simmons.
He is currently playing on a $94 million deal and is under contract through his age-30 season in 2027. Jones is locked into a $159 million agreement that runs through 2028, when he will be 34.
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