The Kansas City Chiefs climbed back to .500 with a win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. With Rashee Rice set to return to the team after a six-game suspension, the Chiefs have already made their biggest addition ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t keep their eye out for a big move.
That avenue may have opened on Monday morning when the Tennessee Titans announced they had fired head coach Brian Callahan. Callahan’s dismissal doesn’t impact the Chiefs’ bid to get back into the playoff race after Sunday’s win, but it could lead to a blockbuster trade if they decide to pursue Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
Brian Callahan’s Firing Could Lead Jeffery Simmons Blockbuster Trade with Chiefs
A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second-Team All-Pro selection, Simmons would bring an impact player to the middle of the Chiefs' defensive line. Since arriving in Tennessee as a first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2019 draft, Simmons has racked up 337 total tackles, 57 tackles for loss, and 36 sacks. But he may be on his way to a career year in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons’s 85.3 overall grade ranks sixth, and his 91.3 pass-rushing grade ranks first among qualifying interior defenders this season. While defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t impressed by PFF grades, he may be impressed with what Simmons could provide, as he’s recorded 28 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks in the first six games.
This would be a dream come true for Chiefs fans. Kansas City still has Chris Jones in the middle of the defensive line, but his 2025 season has been tumultuous, jumping in the wrong lane during a Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and giving up on a play that resulted in a game-winning touchdown for Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
Even if Jones isn’t the problem, the Chiefs could get the best out of him by upgrading who is playing beside him. Second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott has been a disappointment in his rookie season, and free agent additions Jerry Tillery and Derrick Nnadi have been even worse, with Nnadi registering the lowest PFF grade among all interior defenders this year at 29.1.
One issue that Kansas City would have to overcome is the Chiefs’ financial situation, which currently leaves them $2.9 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. That would make it extremely difficult to fit Simmons’s $22.9 million cap hit on the roster, but could also open the door for a blockbuster trade that could send Jones to the Titans, Simmons to the Chiefs, and allow Tennessee to flip Jones to another team for more draft capital.
Sounds a bit far-fetched for a deal to happen. But with Simmons in his age-28 season, he probably isn’t interested in sticking around Tennessee for another rebuild. That makes Callahan’s firing significant and the Chiefs' pursuit for another superstar a little more possible as the trade deadline approaches.