Ryan Poles says Bears aren't adopting 'F them picks' mindset with Jeffery Simmons trade, DT's impact on culture factored into deal

The Chicago Bears’ trade for former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons came together quickly. But it had been brewing for a lot longer, general manager Ryan Poles explained on Friday.Poles, now in his fifth season as GM, said that, over the past two years, the Bears had been discussing the three-time All-Pro and what adding him could mean for the franchise.“I honestly didn't think it would ever happen,” Poles admitted to reporters. “So when that window kind of opened where it was a possibility, and they had to work their process as well, it happened pretty fast.“It was a late call and happened in the early morning.”The Bears sent the Titans 2027 and 2028 first-round picks on Thursday, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, in exchange for the 29-year-old Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick. The transaction sent shockwaves through the NFL, igniting debates about whether the Bears overpaid or Simmons was worth the hefty price.#Bears GM Ryan Poles wanted to make it clear they are not in “F them picks” mode.Poles says the trade for Jeffery Simmons will challenge him and the front office to nail their remaining draft picks, undrafted free agency and other avenues to acquire players with the goal of… https://t.co/o7bYTYYMztpic.twitter.com/8pF9IJNBTN— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 30, 2026Simmons is the first DT in the common draft era — since 1967 — to be traded for multiple first-round picks, per ESPN. While expensive, it could just be the move that puts a 5-2 Chicago team with Super Bowl aspirations on the path to a Lombardi Trophy.“The trade told me everything I needed to know, especially the value … from giving away two first-round picks,” Simmons said Friday. “I could look on the other side of that and be like, ‘Man, I just got traded,' but I can also look on the bright side of things of, 'This team believes in what they have here and they want it right now.’”Poles clarified that the Simmons trade doesn’t indicate a paradigm shift. More specifically, the Bears aren’t adopting a front-office approach made famous by the Los Angeles Rams and their GM, Les Snead.“I know it's kind of a joke that kind of goes around, but 'F them picks' is a big thing,” Poles said. “That's really not what we're about. I know it took a lot to get this done, but we absolutely believe that the draft and bringing in young talent is a way that you sustain success around here.”Poles maintained that, in order to pull the trigger on a trade like the one that ushered Simmons to Chicago, he needs to be aiming for a player that makes a difference on the field and influences the organization’s culture.“I don't think it can be either or when you talk about a move this size,” Poles said. “You need to have both. And that's what Jeffery does. We believe he's going to impact us at a high level on the grass but also in the locker room, too.”Simmons brings intensity, upholds standard of play Bears already preachSimmons stands 6-foot-4, 305 pounds. His presence is imposing at the podium and even more daunting in between the white lines.Last season, he piled up 11 sacks en route to first-team All-Pro honors. This time around, he’s mounted four more, in addition to forcing a fumble and defending four passes. Through seven games, he’s tied for third among all NFL interior defensive linemen with 24 pressures generated during the 2026 campaign, according to Pro Football Focus.Simmons is what Poles describes as a “red-level interior defensive lineman.” Every Super Bowl team in recent years has one, the GM asserted on Friday.Poles had another label for Simmons. “I think he's a multiplier,” Poles said, meaning that Simmons’ effect up front helps not only the defensive line but also the other parts of the defense, namely the secondary. Just as the attention he draws in the middle of the trenches is expected to unlock the pass-rushing potential of his former Mississippi State teammate, Bears defensive end Montez Sweat, it’s supposed to assuage the obstacles facing the defensive backs as well. That prospect obviously made Simmons alluring. Yet so did the way he goes about his business and holds others accountable.“His intensity that he brings to the football field, he has a certain standard of how you play this game,” Poles said. “You've heard that from me, from [head coach] Ben [Johnson] throughout the years, and [Jeffery] lives that, he models that behavior. “I think that when you don't live that, he's a guy that makes it a little bit uncomfortable for you, too, which is important. I don't know if we have that right now, and we do with adding him.”Simmons expressed that he’s dedicated time to learning how to refine his leadership skills as his career has progressed. The 2019 No. 19 overall pick stressed the significance of figuring how to reach each individual player and calculating the right method for communicating the desired standard without coming off the wrong way.He mentioned that Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware advised him to “give guys a vision and not an outcome.”Simmons will be keeping that in mind as he tries to elevate a defense coordinated by Dennis Allen that now should be able to get more pressure with its four-man rush.At the moment, Simmons is still processing some of the emotions from this week’s whirlwind, which saw him leave Nashville after seven-plus seasons. He’s gearing up for what he said is his first primetime game since 2023.Fittingly, he’ll be facing longtime rival Quenton Nelson, a former Indianapolis Colts standout guard who just got traded to the Seattle Seahawks. They’ll be once again going head-to-head, this time on Monday night in Seattle.“I love competition, so there's nothing I don't like about Quenton Nelson,” Simmons said. “I mean, he's a true competitor. He's a guy that's going to always bring his A game. When we play against each other, it's always a great matchup. I look forward to it every time I get ready to play against him.” He added: “I hated the Colts. That's what it was. I'm sure the Chicago Bears hate the Packers around here. So it's like, trust me, I'll get on board real soon with that.”Before he’s even played a down for the Bears, his willingness to embrace and shape the organization’s culture showed — it’s among the chief reasons why Poles gave up so much to get him.