EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said he fielded numerous calls from other teams to trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons as he took over as Tennessee's general manager in 2024. Borgonzi didn't take any offers seriously because he had no intentions of trading the team's All-Pro player.Trading Simmons wasn't on Borgonzi's bingo card when he awoke Wednesday. Then he received a call from Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, whom he had worked with in the Kansas City Chiefs' personnel department from 2009-21. It was one the GM couldn't refuse.Now Borgonzi and the Titans have to figure out how they'll go about replacing a franchise cornerstone as they rebuild.News of Thursday's blockbuster trade surprised Simmons, who had just told the media on Wednesday that neither his agent nor the team had informed him of any intentions to move him to another team. Simmons, 29, said he wanted to stay in Nashville and get the Titans back on track. Titans right tackle JC Latham said Thursday the look of disgust on Simmons' face when the news broke made it clear he was disappointed. Borgonzi had signed Simmons to a three-year, $105 million deal in June and called him a "pillar of the franchise that embodies what it means to be a Titan."Then Poles called with an offer for Simmons that included a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-round pick. Getting two first-round picks for a defensive tackle had never happened to Borgonzi -- or throughout the NFL in the common draft era (since 1967), per ESPN Research."At no point anytime since I've been here did we ever try to trade Jeffery Simmons," Borgonzi said Thursday. "We've gotten a lot of phone calls on Jeff really since I've been hired here, but it's never really crossed my mind. And I got a phone call late last night from a person that I've known for a while, Ryan Poles, he's GM with the Bears. We considered the compensation, and it was too good to pass up."Following the call, Borgonzi's first move was to discuss the deal with Titans coach Robert Saleh. Like the GM, Saleh had Simmons earmarked as a guy the organization was going to build around for years to come. Saleh had recently pointed to Simmons as the best defensive tackle in football and credited the veteran for inspiring the Titans' second-half resurgence on the road in Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts that led to their only win of the season.Borgonzi and Saleh didn't sleep much Wednesday night mulling over the deal.The next step was getting the signoff from Titans controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk, who has a close relationship with Simmons dating back to when the organization drafted the former Mississippi State player with the No. 19 pick in 2019.Borgonzi got team ownership to buy in after taking an honest look at the roster that yielded a 1-6 record. The trade wasn't easy to make -- Simmons was beloved in Nashville -- but the organization felt the compensation was enough to move forward and consider the future implications of such a move on the franchise."It's an opportunity for the organization to get an influx of talent to accelerate the rebuild," Saleh said.But given the Titans' recent history of firing a coach or general manager every season since 2022, it's reasonable to question if Borgonzi and Saleh will be around to make the draft picks and develop the prospects into impact players."I just appreciate Amy [Adams-Strunk] because she empowers us to make decisions," Borgonzi said."She's entrusted us to be able to develop this roster and get it out of the basement at which it's been sitting for the last four and a half years," Saleh added. "I've got all the utmost confidence in [Borgonzi] and his staff and obviously my coaching staff to take every player we can to develop it the best we can and put it in position to be successful."In the meantime, Saleh is preparing the Titans to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Trading Simmons erases a team leader in sacks (four), tackles for a loss (six) and passes defended (four). The Titans relied on Simmons drawing double teams that set up one-on-one matchups for their edge rushers. Simmons faced 101 double teams over the first seven games, the second most among the league's defensive tackles.Saleh has challenged the team to take advantage of the new snaps available from Simmons' absence."There's just going to be opportunities for more guys in that D-line room," Saleh said. "We're looking forward to seeing who comes out of it shining."John Franklin-Myers signed with the Titans in large part to form a disruptive duo with Simmons. Back and groin injuries have kept Franklin-Myers from fully being able to chase quarterbacks next to Simmons. Now he is part of a group that will be fighting to win games without the team's best player."It's the business, so you gotta roll with the punches," Franklin-Myers said. "All I can do is just continue to do my job for this team. I still gotta go out there and f--- s--- up."
