The trade that sent Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans to the Chicago Bears told the All-Pro defensive tackle everything he needed to know about his new home.
asserted
he → send → home
The Bears have big plans.
asserted
Bears → have → plans
“This team believes in what they have here, and they want it right now,” Simmons said.
asserted
Simmons → believe → it
“My game, my passion, my energy, my leadership, I can only help this team even more than what it’s got.”
asserted
it → help → what
That’s what Chicago general manager Ryan Poles is counting on after paying a hefty price for the four-time Pro Bowler.
asserted
Poles → ’ → Bowler
The Bears sent their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a fourth-rounder in next year’s draft, to the Titans on Thursday for Simmons and a fifth-round selection in 2028.
asserted
Bears → send → 2028
The addition of Simmons inserts a game-wrecker into the middle of what had been a questionable defensive line in Chicago.
asserted
what → insert → Chicago
The 29-year-old Simmons has four sacks in seven games this season.
asserted
Simmons → have → games
He topped all defensive tackles with 28 pressures going into Week 8, according to Next Gen Stats.
uncertain
He → top → Stats
He has an NFL-high 10 pressures after facing a double team, compared to 14 for the rest of the Bears defense combined.
asserted
He → have → defense
“If you do the research, Super Bowl teams, you go back to 2018, since then they all have what we call a red-level interior defensive lineman,” Poles said Friday.
asserted
Poles → do → what
“So in order to get to that, you need one, I really believe that.”
asserted
I → get → that
The trade reunites Simmons with fellow defensive lineman Montez Sweat after the two played together for two seasons at Mississippi State.
asserted
two → reunite → State
Sweat wears No. 98 with Chicago, so Simmons is switching to No. 99.
asserted
Simmons → wear → .
Simmons is slated to make his Bears debut Monday night at Seattle.
asserted
Simmons → slat → Seattle
How much he plays depends on how things go in the runup to the primetime game.
asserted
things → play → game
“At this point, I’m still trying to catch up with the playbook, get this game plan down, and just trust the process especially with this first week,” he said.
asserted
he → try → week
“But at the same time, I’m ready to roll.
asserted
I → ’m → time
I’m ready to get out there and help this team win football games.
asserted
team → ’m → games
Chicago is 5-2 after winning its first two games since quarterback Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury.
asserted
Williams → win → injury
It is chasing the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North after winning the division last year for the first time since 2018.
asserted
It → chase → 2018
Tennessee is off to a 1-6 start, and it hasn’t had a winning record since it went 12-5 in 2021.
asserted
it → have → 2021
But Simmons had spent his entire career with the Titans since being drafted in the first round in 2019.
asserted
Simmons → spend → 2019
“It’s been a lot of emotions the last couple days,” Simmons said.
asserted
Simmons → say → emotions
“But today felt great.
asserted
today → feel → ?
It felt great to get on the practice field, move around with the guys.
asserted
It → feel → guys
So I’m excited to be here, I’m excited to be a Chicago Bear.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
The trade created a charged atmosphere at Halas Hall after it was completed.
asserted
it → create → Hall
Poles said the team’s headquarters “was on fire” on Thursday.
asserted
headquarters → say → Thursday
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said it was “like waking up on Christmas morning and you go out and you see all the presents under the tree.”
asserted
you → say → tree
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor heard clapping down the hall, and then got a FaceTime call from his brother, Zac, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
asserted
Taylor → hear → Bengals
Zac had a “huge smile” on his face, Press said.
asserted
Press → have → face
“I’m like, ‘Thank you.
asserted
I → thank → you
We’re excited,’” Press Taylor said as he looked back on the conversation.
asserted
he → ’re → conversation
“And he’s like, ‘No.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
We play the Titans this week.’
asserted
We → play → Titans
Oh, so that makes a lot more sense for why you’re excited.
asserted
you → make → sense
And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go put in a couple more passes in there.’”
asserted
I → ’ → passes
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Simmons is one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen.
asserted
Simmons → list → linemen
He was a first-team All-Pro selection last year, when he had a career-high 11 sacks in 15 games.
asserted
he → have → games
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
