Titans do the Bengals a huge favor before facing off in Week 8 matchup, and make them look like thieves in the process
The Cincinnati Bengals are heavy favorites in their NFL Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, and the scales are now tipping even further to Cincinnati’s side now that Jeffery Simmons is being traded away.
The Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) are heavy favorites in their NFL Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans (1-6), and the scales are now tipping even further to Cincinnati’s side.
Tennessee, per multiple reports, is trading away All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears. Chicago is giving away two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder in exchange for the four-time Pro Bowler and a future fifth-round pick.
Titans’ first game without Jeffery Simmons will be at Cincinnati
While the NFL trade deadline is still 12 days away, the Titans chose to send Simmons off only four days before playing the Bengals on the road Sunday afternoon.
Cincinnati has played against Simmons five times in his career, winning four of them and holding the 29-year-old without at least half a sack in three of them.
The most damage Simmons has done to the Bengals came in the AFC Divisional Round during the 2021-22 playoffs. He sacked quarterback Joe Burrow three times in that contest, contributing to the nine sacks Burrow took during the 19-16 win for Cincy.
“He’s really big, he’s really strong. he’s really fast,” Burrow said of Simmons. “That’s usually a good combination. He’s really tough, seems to love what he does. You put all those things together, you get Jeff Simmons.”
Despite Simmons’ lack of sack production in his other meetings against Burrow, he’s still been an obvious force to deal with. He’s logged 15 total pressures in those five games, and commanded plenty of attention akin to how opposing offenses treat Bengals nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II. That’s the caliber of player Tennessee spared Cincinnati from playing this weekend.
“He’s arguably up there with all of the top guys,” coach Zac Taylor said of Simmons.
Jeffery Simmons 2026 stats
Simmons was a First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career in 2025.
- Four sacks
- 24 pressures
- 14.3% pass rush win rate
Bengals’ Dexter Lawrence trade looks like theft in comparison
With Simmons and Lawrence as proper contemporaries, it’s only fair we judge the value the Bears and Bengals, respectively, gave up to acquire them.
Cincinnati only had to hand over one first-round pick, a top-10 selection in fairness, for Lawrence, who’s been firmly one of the best defensive players in all of football this season. Chicago gave away an extra first and essentially swapped Day 3 picks on top of it.
One deal was made in April while the other comes with the trade deadline approaching. The Bears had to sweeten the offer to get Simmons in the middle of the season for their Super Bowl push. That said, the Bengals look very good for getting Lawrence for that price in comparison. Lawrence, still 28 for two more weeks, is also slightly younger than Simmons.
Only one of them will take the field Sunday in Paycor Stadium, which is a big win for the home team.
