Titans Players Shocked by Simmons Trade — Why Their Week 8 Response Could Define 2026 Season

Titans fans were properly heartbroken when longtime favorite Jeffery Simmons was traded to the Chicago Bears yesterday. The argument for the franchise is clear: Two first-round picks would be hard to turn down for just about anybody. This rebuild finally has some real steam.

Yet, there's an emotion to this move that can't be so quickly dismissed. According to Albert Breer, Simmons himself even shared in that emotion. In a behind-the-scenes look at how it all went down, Breer reported that Simmons was "a bit heartbroken and didn’t want to leave."

Saleh told the rest of the team minutes after the news was broken to Simmons; one prominent player even asked "Why did we do this?" Yet, Saleh took the meeting to set the stage for a potential turnaround moving forward.

Week 8 is going to be a turning point for the Titans either way. How the team responds to the Simmons move agains the Cincinnati Bengals could very well define their season.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) storms the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns. — Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) storms the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Week 8 is a turning point for the Titans

Breer wrote that Saleh conceded to his team that the normal reaction from any player in this circumstance would be something along the lines of: "What the ----," to which Breer added, "and think the organization was mailing it in and no longer care about the 2026 team."

"The abnormal thing would be to acknowledge it was the business, and use the opportunity’s result to compete and improve," Breer continued.

That will be the difference for Tennessee in just two days. On the road against a 4-2 team that boasts one of the best offenses in the league, a 1-6 Titans squad will have the opportunity to do the seemingly impossible and upset the Bengals freshly absent their best player.

To mirror Saleh's own sentiment, a normal response from a roster that suddenly lost their rock mid-week would be to phone it in and mourn his absence with a lifeless loss. However, the abnormal response would be for the defense to tick up without him, and at the very least, swing hard in defeat.

How Tennessee responds will set the stage for rest of season

The Titans' response in Week 8 sets the stage for the rest of this year. Even if more guys get moved, it'd likely be more predictable names that haven't defined this franchise like Simmons did. Trades are part of the business, but losing someone like Simmons is different.

With a relatively new general manager and a new head coach leading the way, how will this mixed-and-matched Tennessee squad answer? Saleh himself acknowledged yesterday that his job is dependant on wins and losses. We've seen rebuilds stretch out over multiple decision-makers before.

In fact, the Titans' ongoing rebuild is the perfect example. No matter what the outlook for this franchise is going forward, it's on him to find a way to win right now. It's on him to get his guys to buy in, even after the team's beating heart was traded away.

"Hours later, the team had a spirited practice, one of its best of the season," said Breer, noting what came right after the Titans' team meeting. That's a good sign, and fans shouldn't yet be discouraged until we see what this team looks like without Simmons for the first time since 2019.

All the same, punches can't be pulled after Week 8. If this group doesn't have the pieces to take Saleh - Mike Borgonzi, the franchise, the fans - where they need to go, we'll know definitively in two days.

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