Jeffery Simmons had no idea how much his identity was about to change Thursday morning.
He was the face of the Tennessee Titans franchise, at least on the defensive end, when he walked into their practice facility,
“I walked into the building, sat with my teammates having breakfast, got a phone call from my agent and sure enough he broke the news,” Simmons told Chicago media Friday at Halas Hall.
Column: Are the Chicago Bears ‘all-in’ with Jeffery Simmons deal? Ryan Poles sees it as a boon now – and in the future.
The news was seismic: The Bears initiated a blockbuster trade to acquire Simmons for two first-round picks – one in next year’s draft and the other in 2028 – as well as a fourth-round pick in 2027. The Bears also received a 2028 fifth-round pick.
He called the decision a “blessing,” but one that stirred up a lot of emotion. Simmons became a Titan – he became THE Titan – when they drafted him with the 19th pick in 2019.
“I tried everything I had in me to be invested in the city of Nashville and this organization,” he said. “Things happen in this business.”
But this one hit home on a personal level.
“You learn about it and try to take the feelings out of it, but I tell you, yesterday it was pretty hard to have that phone call with my family and leave my daughter (Mulani),” Simmons said. “That was probably the hardest part yesterday, hugging her before I went to the airport. At three, at that age, they don’t really understand what’s going to happen. From seeing her almost every day of the week to (we have to) figure out this schedule now. It’s been a lot of emotions the last few days.
“But today was great. It was great to get out on the practice field, move around with the guys. Being back with Montez (Sweat), that was my road to Mississippi State. So I’m excited to be here, I’m excited to be a Chicago Bear.”
No one was more eager to have Simmons in Halas Hall than defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who likened the trade to an early Christmas present.
“Obviously, I’m excited about the acquisition of Jeffery Simmons,” he said. “He’s a heck of a football player, but as much as he is, the athlete and the skill set that he has. I’m just as intrigued to bring another guy into the building that has great football and character.”
Allen will handle the slow task of integrating Simmons on a snap-by-snap and week-by-week basis, starting with a yet-to-be-determined number of snaps Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks.
“We’ll see what he can digest and how much he can ingest in a short period of time,” Allen said. “The fact that he’s such a professional and really studies the game allows him to catch up pretty quickly.”
Here are three things we learned about Simmons from Halas Hall on Friday.
1. What can he do for the Bears?
Bears guard Jonah Jackson remembers playing against Simmons as a Detroit Lion in December 2020 and during the Bears’ joint practice with the Titans this summer.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Jackson said. “He can play the run very well. He can pass the run incredibly well. … You have to know where he is at all times, and that’s something that scares opposing offensive lines. Like they do in Seattle, they have Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, all those guys, you have to be aware of where they are at all times, just like Jeff Simmons.”
Simmons immediately connects inside alongside fellow veteran Grady Jarrett and should continue to see double teams from opposing offensive lines.
“I think anytime you have a guy that can be as disruptive as he can be inside your defense, it frees up other guys as well,” Allen said. “But listen, it will be a work in progress in terms of how the defense changes or what changes with what we do or how we do it, as we get the opportunity to see what he can do within our plan.”
Ultimately, Simmons, who is tied for fifth in sacks among defensive linemen with four, should bolster the overall defense, which has been steadily improving.
The Bears’ 37.9 percent pressure rate ranks 12th and their 19 sacks are tied for eighth, although they have relied heavily on blitzes (fourth at 40.6 percent).
Nickel corner Kyler Gordon and defensive end Austin Booker are tied for the team lead in sacks with four. Dayo Odeyingbo, who is on injured reserve, has three, Sweat two and Jarrett none.
“It’s like I told Grady today, if I qualify for the (team) doubles, I expect you to win,” Simmons said. “That’s pretty much what it is. It’s the same thing I told Tez. If the tackles can hang on to me and you can’t get the ball and get a free sack, there’s something wrong.
“It’s just (the) first day conversation I have with these guys.”
Defensive tackle Kentavius Street already felt a kinship with Simmons as former college prospects who tore their ACLs shortly before their respective NFL drafts — Street in 2018 and Simmons in ’19.
“Jeffery has been a beast throughout his career,” Street said. “And to finally have him on my team, it’s awesome. It’s incredible. He’s going to command the slide (of a second offensive lineman or a running back), and so I think it’s going to require even more face-offs for the rest of us. So we can all eat.”
General manager Ray Poles said Sweat “for sure” should be one of the eating teammates, as Street said.
“That’s why I really believe the closest path to the quarterback, to the ball, is inside, and a lot of times that will open up some things on the outside for your guys,” Poles said. “Just talking to Montez, he’s locked in, ready to go. He’s one of his guys and I think he’s elevating his game, being with Jeffery.
“That’s our expectation. I think that’s also the expectation he has for himself.”
2. Simmons responded to the “painted nails” comment.
Williams paints her nails with different colors, messages and themes.
In a macho sport, this attracted attention, especially from a self-described “smack talker” such as Simmons.
“Painted nails. I can’t wait to tell him that,” Simmons said on the “Rich Eisen Show” in July 2024, a few months before facing Williams in his NFL debut, a 24-17 Bears victory.
But Simmons said that doesn’t remain a problem. The two shook hands after a practice in Nashville, he said.
“Being a Caleb fan, of course, being on the other side having to play against him, I’m not going to tell him that,” Simmons said. “I’m going to talk as much as possible. But now he’s on my team. We’re teammates now. “I’m going to go to war for any of my guys in the locker room. I hope Caleb knows that.
Williams has seen her share of pictures on her nails from all corners. But it’s not often that you come face to face with a peer who speaks about it so vocally.
“Those comments a few years ago about her nails and whatnot, that’s just lip service,” Simmons said. “It’s part of my game now with smack talk. You’ve heard I’m probably one of the best smack talkers. I talk a lot when I’m on the court. I look forward to being his teammate. We all know what type of player he is. I can’t wait to help him get the ball.”
3. Just in time for Halloween, Press Taylor revisited a “terrifying” story.
The offensive coordinator remembers hearing applause in Halas Hall around noon Thursday, his first signal that the Bears had acquired Simmons.
“And then I get a FaceTime from my brother (Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor), who we normally don’t talk until late in the week, with just a huge smile,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘Thank you. We’re thrilled.’ And he said, “No. We play the Titans this week. Oh, so that makes a lot more sense as to why you’re excited.
Press Taylor had less fond memories of Simmons as the former offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I was in the (AFC South) division for four years with this guy and I know it’s a nightmare,” he said. “Twice a year, it was an absolute nightmare dealing with him – just knowing where he is, how you block him every play. And you know what he’s going to do.
“He’s a high-motor guy, incredibly productive and terrifying to play against. I’m glad we’re not going against him anymore.”
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