Jeffery Simmons Says Bears Trade Signals a Push to Win Now

Jeffery Simmons said Chicago’s willingness to surrender two first-round picks showed a team intent on winning now, speaking Friday after his first practice with the Bears.

“This team believes in what they have here and they want it right now,” Simmons said in his introductory comments at Halas Hall. He said his job was to bring his existing approach and help Chicago compete for a championship.

Simmons learned about the deal from his agent while eating breakfast at the Titans’ facility Thursday. After eight seasons in Tennessee, the move meant leaving familiar teammates and flying to a new city. Friday brought his first Bears practice and a reunion with former Mississippi State teammate Montez Sweat.

His first assignment is Monday night at Seattle. Simmons said he was still learning the playbook and game plan, leaving his initial workload uncertain, but was willing to accept whatever role Chicago needed.

General manager Ryan Poles described the acquisition as an investment in performance and leadership in the team’s account of his Friday remarks. Poles said a transaction of this size required both qualities, citing Simmons’ intensity and willingness to hold teammates to a standard.

The contract also shaped Chicago’s decision. Simmons is signed through 2030, giving the Bears four additional seasons after this one. Poles said the organization considered those future years when evaluating whether the move could support sustained success rather than compromise its longer-term plans.

Poles also credited his working relationship with Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, a former colleague in Kansas City, for facilitating the negotiations.

Simmons arrives with four sacks in seven starts this season and 46.5 across 106 career appearances. Chicago’s confirmed trade package includes first-round selections in 2027 and 2028 and a 2027 fourth-rounder for Tennessee, with a 2028 fifth-rounder returning to the Bears alongside the defender.