The NFL trade deadline is less than a week away, so a flurry of impactful moves could be on the way as Super Bowl contenders gear up for the stretch run. Even if the biggest transactions are already complete, this year's deadline will go down as a significant one, because the Chicago Bears proved in Week 8 how the acquisition of one star can flip a season. Jeffery Simmons elevated their defense in his first game following last week's blockbuster trade and rounded the Bears into an even more legitimate championship hopeful.
The Baltimore Ravens just made a move themselves at quarterback, but it doesn't come close to lifting the team the way Simmons does. Their top two options sustained injuries last week that could hold both of them out for the year, so in order to remain competitive in the AFC North, Baltimore brought in Arizona's Jacoby Brissett. There are several other teams to monitor as well ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
Week 9 is light on showdowns between top-tier contenders, but there are still a few contests — like the "Monday Night Football" battle featuring the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings — that will potentially reshape the title race. Here are the latest trends in the Super Bowl hunt heading into Week 9. A single move ahead of the NFL trade deadline elevated the Bears out of the pack of ordinary Super Bowl contenders and into the top tier of championship hopefuls.
They suddenly own the third-shortest odds to roll through the postseason. While the San Francisco 49ers are still the team to beat in the NFC until proven otherwise, the Bears' momentum is even more palpable, and it is beginning to feel like the conference runs through Chicago. Monday's 34-17 win on the road over the Seattle Seahawks might have been a passing of the torch from last year's champions to the best team of 2026.
Simmons unlocked all kinds of possibilities when he arrived by way of the Tennessee Titans. The three-time All-Pro defensive tackle recorded his first tackle as a Bear on the game's first play from scrimmage and earned his first sack on the following series. He dominated from start to finish and added another tackle for loss and a pass breakup in the fourth quarter.
This is a new kind of weapon on the defensive front and one that gives coordinator Dennis Allen the freedom to blitz less frequently and still get pressure on the quarterback. That is an invaluable opportunity for a team that previously relied on the blitz at one of the NFL's highest rates. The only weakness on this Bears team now resides in the secondary, and Simmons' arrival should mask it to a noticeable extent.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
