Jeffery Simmons Ready to Make History with Chicago Bears

Jeffery Simmons spent his first eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, the team that drafted him No. 19 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. 

In his farewell message on social media, Simmons shared what the Titans organization and Nashville meant to him.

"A place where I grew as a player, man, father, and LEADER. I always pictured myself finishing what I started here, bringing winning football back to Nashville, and continuing to build something special with the Titans. ..."

What Simmons envisioned with the Titans is what the Bears believe he can bring to Chicago -- winning football for a team that has championship aspirations. The All-Pro defensive tackle recognizes the investment Bears general manager Ryan Poles made to acquire him, trading two first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-rounder to the Titans for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick. 

“The trade told me everything I needed to know, especially the value — from giving away two first round picks," Simmons said. "I could also look on the other side of that and be like, ‘Man, I just got traded,’ but I could also look on the bright side of things. This team believes in what they have here, and they want it right now. My game, my passion, my energy, my leadership, I can only help this team even more than what it's got. This is a great locker room from quarterback all the way down, so my job is to come in here and be nothing more than myself, and I'm excited to be able to help this team compete for a championship, and that's every team’s goal in the NFL. I think right now, with the way this team has been competing, I've been watching these guys from afar. It's a great team, great locker room, and I'm excited to do my part to help this team get to its goal.”

For Simmons to help this Bears team reach that lofty goal of winning a Super Bowl, he need to start at the basics and get acclimated to his new city, team and coaches. He doesn't know he much he will play in the Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. The veteran defensive tackle is still trying to learn the playbook, but he's eager to play under the lights -- something he hasn't done in quite a while. 

"I haven't played in a primetime game since 2023," Simmons said. "It's been that long since I played in a primetime game. I think Thursday night against the Steelers was the last time I actually played in one. But it's exciting. When you've got a primetime game, that means you're doing something right. With this team, with last year's success, and, of course, this year, what more can you ask for? To come into a situation to help this organization, this team, win big games and especially meaningful football around this time of the year.

Also my first game being here in Chicago, I get to play on Monday night. I think that's the dream of any NFL player to come into a situation like this. I'm so excited. I'm excited to be able to go out there on Monday night. Of course, having to face against a guy like (Seahawks G) Quenton Nelson, who, of course, I did face my last eight years in Tennessee, and get to do it on Monday night. Like I said, it's been since 2023 that I had a primetime game.”

Simmons will grow used to playing in primetime and being in the national spotlight now that he is in Chicago. After his Monday night debut, the Bears will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. The team will also play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. 

Chicago's newest defender has already felt the full weight of the fanbase, with fans flooding his social media to welcome him. Simmons is part of the culture now, holding a clear opportunity to carve out his own place in Bears history. 

“I'm so excited," Simmons said. "I'm so excited to hopefully have my name up there one day. They always say it's the people that came before you, them chairs that are in the room, they don't belong to us. And my job is to continue to uphold that tradition, to hear about the guys like (former Bears DL Akiem) Hicks and guys that came before me. Like my job is to continue to let people around this NFL know that the Bears game is going to be won up front.

And that's always been my mindset is go through the trenches and to even see Walter Payton – to be up for the last three years of the Walter Payton Man of the Year, to see his name and to see his number on it in the indoor. They got the cones around it. Like do not step on that. It just brings chills through my body to know where I'm at and how much the city, this organization has a lot of tradition and I'm so excited to be a part of it and I'm ready to roll. It's going to be really good and I'm excited."