The Tennessee Titans are 1-6 in the regular season, and following a tough Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee has made a blockbuster trade.
According to The Ringers’ Tom Pelissero, the Titans are trading Jeffrey Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in return for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-rounder.
Trading Simmons hurts, especially for the fan base, but what should really concern fans is what this trade means for Cam Ward. This trade is a bad omen for the Titans’ 2025 first-overall pick for a few reasons.
Why the Titans’ trade for Jeffrey Simmons is a bad sign for Cam Ward
This blockbuster trade is a significant one for the Bears, as they are now a lot stronger of a Super Bowl contender than before. Simmons is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and also just signed a contract extension with the Titans.
While the Bears side of this trade makes perfect sense, the return for Tennessee helps explain it as well. Getting two first-round picks for Simmons is great business for the Titans, but it does point to one thing: this team isn’t contending anytime soon.
If the Titans believed they had a chance to compete in 2027 or 2028, even if only for the AFC South, they might’ve justified keeping Simmons as a key part of their ascending team.
But by trading him, it’s an admission that this Titans team is far away from being competitive. Considering the state of the roster, that’s not a huge surprise. They are 1-6 through seven weeks of the 2026 season, after all.
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Unfortunately, the one player most impacted by this move might be Ward. The supposed franchise QB, now in his second season, might not actually be the future of the franchise.
The Titans will have multiple first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. When the Titans use those picks, they will have had at least two seasons of Ward as their starting QB.
Based on his play so far, a 4-20 record with 4,348 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 78.4 passer rating in 24 starts, there’s not a lot to be excited about.
Now loaded up with draft capital, there is a path here for the Titans to part ways with Ward and draft or trade for his replacement using any one of their four first-round picks over the next two draft classes.
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While Ward is set to be the starter for the remainder of the 2026 season, and more likely than not will get another chance in 2027, this Simmons trade proves the Titans are not planning to contend for the next season or two.
What that means is, for the rest of Ward’s rookie contract, the Titans have basically admitted with the Simmons trade that this team won’t be a contender. The Titans haven’t given up on Ward, but this is a clear sign there’s not a lot of belief in him right now.
The Simmons’ blockbuster trade was good business by the Titans, as the two firsts are hard to pass up. But it is indirectly a bad omen for Ward’s future with the Titans. Less than two years into his career, the Titans might already be giving up on Ward.
