As the NFL's Nov. 10 trade deadline nears ever closer, there has been no shortage of big-time moves across the league. The latest is Tennessee Titans superstar DT Jeffrey Simmons, largely inarguably the best player at his position, being shipped off to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a haul.
The Bears are going all in for the next couple of years, and taking a true swing by giving up two first-round picks as well as a fourth-rounder to acquire Simmons and a 2028 5th round selection. It's not the first time Chicago has made a move like this, famously trading for Khalil Mack nearly a decade ago; that time also surrendered a pair of premium draft picks.
It's even more intriguing when you realize that the two parties that pulled this off are branches from the Brett Veach tree in Bears GM Ryan Poles and Titans GM Mike Borganzi, being the two head honchos of this blockbuster transaction.
What it also informs Chiefs fans is how much a potential Chris Jones trade after this year could net Kansas City. There have been growing murmurs about Jones departing from the team after this season, due to his large cap hit and regressive play.
What kind of draft capital could Kansas City land by departing from the franchise legend?
Let me make this clear off the bat. In no way should the Chiefs explore trading Jones prior to this year's deadline. Despite him not stuffing the stat sheet as one did, he is still uberly important to the integrity and effectiveness of Steve Spagnuolo's defense. To win the Super Bowl in 2026, the Kansas City Chiefs need Chris Jones to play as close to his prime as he can get in his age-32 season.
That last part is why, after this year, however, Jones truly becomes trade-eligible in my opinion. He is not getting any younger, and his play, like it or not, has taken a step back from years past. It might be time for the Chiefs to get what they can in return for a key cog in their dynastic run.
Based on his age and his contract, Jones would certainly not net the Chiefs two first-round picks like Simmons. And potentially not even one. Keep in mind that just days ago, Colts star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner got traded. In exchange, Indianapolis received just a fourth-round selection.
Buckner is the same age as Jones and has a much lesser impact on his new team's cap sheet than Jones will have on his. In my opinion, Jones is currently, and I would project for the next couple of years, better than Buckner, and has remained healthy for the majority of his career, while Buckner has failed to play in more than 12 games each of the past two years.
I think the Chiefs, or any team, for that matter, would be lucky to net a first-rounder for an interior defensive lineman well on the wrong side of 30 with a large 2027 cap hit. At best, they could get a second-round pick, but more likely would be a third.
I'm not saying that's what they should do, but Veach should definitely explore the waters of what he could get in exchange for Jones. It wouldn't hurt to see just how much value they can squeeze out of him before letting him walk away for nothing.
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