LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — Before landing their roles as general managers, Ryan Poles and Mike Borgonzi worked closely together as rising members of the Chiefs' front office. They were pivotal parts of a scouting team that has helped bring three Lombardi Trophies to Kansas City in the past eight years.
Now, Poles is leading a Bears franchise with the same championship aspirations as the Chiefs and Borgonzi is guiding the Titans through a dark rebuilding process. Their shared history helped Poles and Borgonzi reach an agreement on a blockbuster trade Thursday that sent All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to Chicago in a deal that included two first-round picks going to Tennessee.
It was a prudent move for both teams’ directions. For Poles and the Bears, it highlighted their staunch belief that they can win a Super Bowl title in the years to come. Simmons is a four-time Pro Bowler with 46.5 sacks in 106 career NFL games, and he should make a big impact on a defense that’s last in the NFL in allowing 6.3 yards per play.
"It's a different feeling," said Poles, who guided the Bears through a rebuild of their own after being hired in 2022. “It feels good. I mean, we've done a lot of good work to put ourselves in this position.
"To be in a space that you're chasing championships where we were just trying to get off the ground the first couple years I was here, I feel really good about it."
The trade also included the Bears sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Titans while gaining a 2028 fifth-round pick in return. Once the deal was finalized, Simmons left his home of eight years in Nashville to board a private jet for Chicago and caught up with the Bears late Thursday evening.
The Bears expect Simmons to play Monday, when they visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Before that, they need to get him up to speed with their scheme, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.
After a breakthrough 2025 season, the Bears currently sit at 5-2 and are seeking to reach the playoffs in consecutive years and make plenty of noise once there. The sustained success that Poles always envisioned for the Bears is coming to fruition. Leading the way are third-year quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson, a pairing that continues to grow and flourish, giving the Bears the conviction that the time was right for a major swing.
Of course, Poles also knows that moving forward without a first-round pick until 2029 will present challenges. It means the Bears must maximize their scouting and player development to compensate for their decreased draft capital.
"I know it's kind of a joke that goes around, like, 'F them picks’ is like 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 to sustain success around here. I'm challenging myself and our crew that for the picks we do have, we have to hit. We have to be great with our undrafted free agent process. And whatever tier of free agency we're working in, which will have constraints, we got to hit there too. We got a great track record. It continues to get better every year. So, I got a lot of faith that we'll be able to get that done and sustain success."
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
