Jeffery Simmons’ Arrival Energizes Bears and Puts Rivals on Notice

WHO:

Chicago Tribune - Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Simmons’ arrival should help Montez Sweat, adding, “That’s our expectation. I think that’s the expectation he has for himself as well.”

chicagobears.com - Bears guard Jonah Jackson said he had faced Simmons in a Bears-Titans joint practice in Nashville and in a game as a Detroit Lion in December 2020.

Chicago Sun-Times - Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Jeffery Simmons had “a presence” that could help hold teammates to a high standard; general manager Ryan Poles said Simmons would make things “a little bit uncomfortable” for underperforming players.

Chicago Sun-Times - Montez Sweat said he and Simmons were “best buds in college”; Simmons said he could tell Sweat, “You need to get it going.”

chicagobears.com - Bengals head coach Zac Taylor called his brother, Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor, after the Simmons trade; Press Taylor said Zac was excited because Cincinnati was playing Tennessee that week.

chicagobears.com - Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said people he knew in Tennessee described Simmons as “an even better person than he is a player.”

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said being traded was a “blessing” and that he had tried to pour everything he had into Nashville and the Titans organization.

Chicago Tribune - Bears defensive tackle Kentavius Street said Simmons’ arrival was “dope” and “amazing,” and predicted Simmons would draw offensive-line slides that create more one-on-one opportunities for teammates.

chicagobears.com - The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. General manager Ryan Poles made the trade; Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, offensive coordinator Press Taylor, guard Jonah Jackson, and defensive tackle James Lynch discussed the move.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons was the Titans’ 2019 first-round pick, selected 19th overall, and became a prominent defensive player for the franchise.

chicagobears.com - Simmons reunited with Bears defensive lineman Montez Sweat, his former college teammate at Mississippi State. Simmons said his mother, who raised five children on her own, is his inspiration.

Chicago Tribune - Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Simmons addressed Simmons’ earlier trash talk about Williams’ painted nails; Simmons said, “I’ll go to war for any of my guys in the locker room.”

chicagobears.com - Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk and the Titans organization had been “nothing but good” to Simmons, he said.

WHAT:

ESPN - The Titans had rebuffed trade inquiries about Simmons until Chicago’s offer; the Bears had first asked about him during their joint practice with Tennessee the previous summer.

ESPN - Ryan Poles called Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi on Tuesday night to renew trade discussions. The teams used the Myles Garrett trade as a framework; Tennessee viewed Jared Verse, included in that deal, as equivalent to a first-round pick.

ESPN - The Titans decided they needed more draft capital to accelerate roster growth. The Bears studied Super Bowl champions since 2018 and concluded each had an elite defensive tackle.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he and Caleb Williams had shaken hands after a practice in Nashville; he described his past comments about Williams’ nails as smack talk and said, “I’ll go to war for any of my guys in the locker room.”

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he was drafted while recovering from a torn ACL and called his double-team against Tampa Bay in his second NFL game his “Welcome to the NFL” moment.

Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears planned to use Simmons in situations that would require less familiarity with the playbook for his debut; Johnson said Simmons was unlikely to play the 87% of defensive snaps he played with Tennessee.

Chicago Sun-Times - Sweat had two sacks in five games before serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing-drugs policy; he was set to return for the Seattle game.

Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears had not had a player record 11 sacks in a season since Robert Quinn in 2021; a defensive tackle last reached that mark for Chicago in 1995, when Jim Flanagan did so.

Chicago Sun-Times - Simmons recorded 11 sacks in 2025, a career high.

Newsweek - Three other teams contacted the Titans about Simmons before his trade to Chicago.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he was double-teamed throughout games at this stage of his career.

Chicago Tribune - The Bears’ defense was improving steadily, according to the article; Simmons was tied for fifth among defensive linemen with four sacks.

Chicago Tribune - The Bears’ defense had a 37.9% pressure rate, ranked 12th, and 19 sacks, tied for eighth; it blitzed on 40.6% of plays, the fourth-highest rate. Kyler Gordon and Austin Booker led the team with four sacks each; Dayo Odeyingbo had three, Montez Sweat two, and Grady Jarrett none.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he expected Jarrett and Sweat to win when opposing blockers double-teamed him, telling them, “If the tackles could hang on me and you can’t get off the ball and get a free sack, there’s something wrong.”

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he had been double-teamed throughout his career and was tied for fifth among defensive linemen with four sacks that season.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said his earlier comments about Caleb Williams’ painted nails were “part of my game” as a smack talker and that he looked forward to helping Williams get the ball.

chicagobears.com - The Bears received Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick, sending the Titans 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

chicagobears.com - Simmons recorded 15.0 sacks since the start of the 2025 season. Over 106 games with Tennessee, he recorded 414 tackles, 72 tackles for loss, 46.5 sacks, 96 quarterback hits, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and 31 pass breakups; he was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.

chicagobears.com - Simmons said the trade showed the Bears “believe in what they have here and they want it right now,” and that he was “excited to be able to help this team compete for a championship.”

Chicago Tribune - Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Simmons was a “hell of a football player” with “tremendous football and personal character.” Press Taylor described him as a “high-motor, incredibly productive, terrifying guy to go against.”

chicagobears.com - Simmons chose No. 99 as “a new chapter”; he said, “98 + 1 = 99.” He described fishing as his way to “get back to center” and said his grandfather gave him his first fishing rod and reel when he was six or seven.

Heavy NFL - Heavy published articles about Simmons’ message to the Packers, his trade-related remarks about Caleb Williams, and a potential additional Bears trade; the provided excerpts do not give the underlying details of the Packers message or another possible deal.

WHERE:

chicagobears.com - Simmons joined the Bears at Halas Hall and practiced with the team. He said he looked forward to playing his first game at Soldier Field.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons left the Titans’ facility in Nashville and traveled to Chicago; he said saying goodbye to his three-year-old daughter, Mulani, was the hardest part of the move.

WHEN:

Chicago Tribune - Simmons recalled that his first NFL game was against the Los Angeles Chargers and identified a double-team in his following game against Tampa Bay as his “Welcome to the NFL” moment.

chicagobears.com - The trade was announced Thursday; Simmons practiced with the Bears and held his introductory press conference Friday.

chicagobears.com - Simmons said his first two Bears games were scheduled for Monday night in Seattle and the following Sunday night against the Buccaneers in Chicago. His playing time against Seattle had not been determined.

WHY:

ESPN - The Bears believed Simmons could make the kind of difference elite defensive tackles made for recent Super Bowl champions, including Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, Vita Vea and Jalen Carter.

Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears sought a pocket-crashing defensive tackle and a player whose personality could energize teammates; the Sun-Times reported those qualities were part of why Chicago made the trade.

Chicago Tribune - Simmons said he wanted to uphold the Bears’ traditions and described the organization’s history as inspiring, citing Walter Payton and his recognition as a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award finalist in each of the previous two years.

chicagobears.com - Simmons said the Bears’ trade of two first-round picks showed their belief in the team and desire to compete immediately. He said he was prepared to contribute in whatever role the team assigned.

chicagobears.com - Simmons said he chose No. 99 because he wanted “something new” to represent a new beginning.

Chicago Tribune - Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Simmons’ ability to disrupt the interior could create opportunities for other defenders, including Sweat.

HOW:

chicagobears.com - Simmons said he was catching up on the playbook and game plan and would “trust the process” before playing for Chicago.

Chicago Tribune - Dennis Allen said the Bears would integrate Simmons gradually, assessing what he could learn and handle in a short time.

Chicago Tribune - Allen said Simmons’ presence might affect the defense’s approach, but changes would depend on what Simmons could do within the scheme.

The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee, bolstering their defense. Chicago sent two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder, receiving Simmons and a fifth-round pick. Simmons reunites with Montez Sweat, bringing proven pass-rushing power and higher expectations for teammates.