Jeffery Simmons is already settling into life with the Chicago Bears, but the move away from Tennessee has come with a heavy personal cost.
The new Bears defensive tackle spent the last several years building more than just a football résumé in Nashville. He made close relationships there, created memories that will stick with him, and, most importantly, started a family in the city. So while Simmons is excited to get back to meaningful football after four straight double-digit loss seasons and a 1-6 start with the Titans, the trade has still hit him hard.
“To leave my daughter yesterday, that was probably the hardest part,” Simmons said on Friday, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “Hugging her before I headed to the airport… 3 years old, at that age they don't really understand what's about to happen.
From seeing her every day of the week to figuring out the schedule now. It's been a lot of emotion these last couple days, but today it felt great.
It felt great to actually get on the practice field, to move around with the guys.”
That’s the reality of a move like this: the football part gets easier to process than the human part. Simmons can lean on the fact that he’s paid to be a difference-maker, but that doesn’t make the transition seamless. He now has to sort out a new routine for a 3-year-old while handling everything else that comes with changing teams.
For now, staying busy with Chicago is helping.
The Bears have already looked strong on defense, allowing just 87.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL, and piling up 19 sacks through seven weeks, good for a tie for eighth. Simmons should have a chance to make that unit even tougher.
Through the season so far, the 29-year-old has posted four sacks, 38 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four passes defended. He’ll now play for Dennis Allen, a defensive coach the Bears trust as they try to push past the undefeated Minnesota Vikings and chase a second straight NFC North title.
Jeffery Simmons says the hardest part about getting traded was abruptly having to leave his 3-year-old daughter and hug her goodbye before heading to Chicago.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 30, 2026
The things we don’t see… 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ljnuzIix93
Chicago gave up a pair of first-round picks to get him, a clear sign of how highly they view his impact on a roster already built to win. The Bears want Simmons to justify that price tag right away, beginning with Monday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, who are 4-3.
Until then, he’ll keep learning the playbook, getting comfortable with his new surroundings and, by the sounds of it, probably talking about his daughter’s Halloween costume along the way.
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