Jeffery Simmons wasted little time making his presence felt in a Chicago Bears uniform.
On Monday night, in his first game since the Titans traded him to Chicago, Simmons got to Sam Darnold on the Seahawks’ fourth offensive play and logged his first sack as a Bear. Afterward, he pointed to the one-on-one matchup that opened the door for the play.
“If you block me one-on-one, I need to win the one-on-one. If I don’t win a one-on-one, the coaches should be on me.
I hold myself to a high standard,” Simmons said. “It felt great to get my first sack as a Chicago Bear in my first game.”
That kind of attention is nothing new for Simmons. During his All-Pro seasons with Tennessee, he was often the focus of double teams, and he saw plenty of the same on Monday night. When that happened, he said he challenged the rest of the Bears’ defensive front to make the most of the favorable looks.
“If I’m getting a double team, I expect them to win their single block,” Simmons said. “We don’t need to blitz. I feel like if we can win at the line of scrimmage without the blitzes, that makes the guys’ jobs on the back end that much easier.”
The Bears leaned on him heavily right away. Simmons was on the field for 55 defensive snaps, the most of any Chicago player in the game, and he played 87 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps.
That matched the percentage he had been playing for the Titans this season before the trade. Chicago paid a steep price to land him, sending two first-round draft picks to Tennessee, and got an immediate payoff.
Simmons said he tried to steady himself before kickoff by telling himself, “It’s just football.” Even so, the moment carried plenty of weight.
“The emotions, especially during the national anthem, the emotions were coming and coming,” Simmons said.
Afterward, Simmons said the chance to play meaningful football means a lot to him. Tennessee sits at 1-7, while Chicago is 6-2, and Simmons understands the trade put him in position to chase a Super Bowl.
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Jeffery Simmons departure to Chicago did not go unnoticed in Tennessee, and the Titans made sure of that in their next game. The defensive line showed up with red sleeves as a nod to the veteran tackle, a small but visible tribute to a player who had become a central figure in the room and on the field.
Solomon Thomas spoke about Simmons impact on the team and the gesture that followed his trade, underscoring how much respect he had earned inside the building. For a defense trying to move forward without one of its defining voices, the tribute said plenty about the standard Simmons left behind and the void the Titans now have to fill. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Trade Drama Just Took A Wild Jeffery Simmons Turn
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Harbaugh also made clear he has no interest in following any unwritten etiquette that might keep coaches from picking up the phone on matters like this, saying he would make similar calls again if needed. For Tennessee, it adds another layer to a situation already worth watching, since Simmons remains the kind of player who can alter a defense and draw interest even when the usual front-office path is not producing movement. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rebuild Just Put Jacob Martin At The Center Of A Debate
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With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, Martin has suddenly become one of the more interesting names on Tennessees roster. The Titans have already shown a willingness to move pieces as they sort through the future, and a productive pass rusher on a struggling team naturally draws attention, even if no deal has been confirmed. [Read more 🡒]