It was a typical Thursday for Jeffery Simmons, but that changed in an instant.
The All-Pro defensive tackle was at the Titans facility having breakfast with teammates when he received a phone call informing him that he had been traded to the Bears.
"Woke up and had no idea what was about to happen or go down," Simmons said Friday during his introductory press conference at Halas Hall. "Went into the building, sitting down with teammates eating breakfast, got a phone call from my agent and he broke the news."
From that point forward, Simmons revealed that "emotions were very high," explaining to reporters that Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk and the organization were "nothing but good to me" throughout his eight seasons in Tennessee. He added that the most difficult part of the day was hugging his three-year-old daughter goodbye before heading to the airport for a flight to Chicago.
Simmons' whirlwind 24 hours continued Friday when the 6-4, 305-pounder practiced for the first time with the Bears, met dozens of new faces and reunited with former college teammate Montez Sweat.
"It's been a lot of emotions the last couple days, but today felt great," Simmons said. "It felt great to get on the practice field, move around with the guys. Being back with Montez, that was my road dawg at Mississippi State. So, I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to be a Chicago Bear."
“The trade told me everything I needed to know … This team believes in what they have here and they want it right now.” New Bears DT Jeffery Simmons
Simmons understands how driven the Bears were to acquire him and how determined they are to win a championship.
"The trade told me everything I needed to know, especially the value from giving away two first-round picks," he said. "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. My job is to come in here and be nothing more than myself.
"I'm excited to be able to help this team compete for a championship. That's every team in the NFL's goal. Right now, with the way this team has been competing, 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."
Get an exclusive look at Jeffery Simmons arriving in Chicago and visiting Halas Hall for the first time after the Bears traded for the All-Pro defensive lineman.
Simmons arrives having played in 106 games over eight seasons with the Titans, recording 414 tackles, 72 tackles-for-loss, 46.5 sacks, 96 quarterback hits, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 31 pass breakups. He is a three-time All-Pro selection and four-time Pro Bowler who has registered 15.0 sacks since the start of last season — 11.0 in 2025 and 4.0 in seven games this year.
Simmons is thrilled to join a Bears team competing for a second straight NFC North title and frequently featured in "standalone" games. While his last prime-time contest with the Titans was in 2023, his first two Bears games will be Monday night in Seattle and the following Sunday night against the Buccaneers in Chicago.
"When you've got a prime-time game, that means you're doing something right," Simmons said. "With this team and with last year's success and this year, what more can you ask for [than] to come into a situation to help this organization win big games? [Playing] meaningful football this time of the year and also my first game [with the Bears], I get to play on Monday night, I think that's [the] dream of [every] NFL player to come to a situation like this."
At this point, it's unclear how much Simmons will play against the Seahawks.
"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm still trying to catch up with the playbook, get this game plan down and just trust the process. But at the same time, I'm ready to roll. I'm ready to get out there and help this team win football games. That's the reason why they brought me here … and whatever role they ask me to play Monday night, the rest of the season, I'm willing to do that."
Simmons already understands that Bears fans possess unlimited quantities of passion and loyalty.
"What more can you ask for when you have your fans really into it and when you have your fans supporting even through the ups and downs?" he said. "That's the reason why we play the game, and it's the reason why I really enjoy doing what I do. To get the fans behind you and to have that support from them, I'm looking forward to it. I see it all over my social media. I know I can't get back to everyone, but I do appreciate the love I have been getting and I'm excited to be here in the city."
Even in his short time at Halas Hall, Simmons has noticed Bears history displayed throughout the building — the retired numbers in the hallway leading from the player parking lot to the locker room, the Hall of Fame plaques in the lobby and the No. 34 emblazoned on the turf inside the Walter Payton Center.
"I'm so excited to hopefully have my name around here one day," Simmons said. "They always say, 'it's the people that come before you.' My job is to continue to uphold that tradition … To be up for the last two years for the Walter Payton Man of the Year [Award], to see his name, to see his number in the indoor — they have cones around there and they are like, 'do not step on that' — it brings chills through my body to know where I'm at and to know how much this city and this organization has a lot of tradition. I'm so excited to be a part of it."
