New DT Jeffery Simmons lights fire at Halas Hall immediately as new heart of Bears' defense

Not only were the Bears searching for a pocket-crashing defensive tackle, they wanted someone who had the personality to ignite those around him. That’s what they believe the found in Jeffery Simmons.

He sent a message to two of his most accomplished teammates in his first 24 hours as a Bear, telling defensive end Montez Sweat and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett he’s not here to eat up double- and triple-teams only to watch them almost get to the quarterback.

“I told Grady, ‘If I’m getting [doubled], I expect you to go win,’” Simmons said. “Same with Montez: ‘If the tackles hang on me, and you can't get off the ball and go get a free sack, there's something wrong.’”

That’s what it looks like when a team adds to the top of its roster rather than tinkering with the fringes. When Simmons makes his Bears debut Monday against the Seahawks, even in a modest role, he’ll be the new heart of their defense.

Simmons downplayed that somewhat when he arrived, saying his focus was to learn coach Ben Johnson’s culture and not “step on toes.”

But there’s something special about a guy who can walk right in and light fires under people, and general manager Ryan Poles said Simmons will make it “a little bit uncomfortable” for anyone who is underperforming.

That’s part of what made him worth trading away two first-round picks to the Titans.

“He’s got a presence to him, and that resonates with some guys when you’ve got your best player holding everybody to a high standard,” Johnson said before practice Saturday. “That goes a long way.

“I just want him to come in and be himself. He’s going to fit right into our locker room. We’ve got a bunch of really good guys that want to win and do whatever it takes.”

While the Bears expect Simmons’ impact to help every part of their defense, Sweat will benefit most directly by getting more one-on-one matchups.

Sweat had two sacks in five games before a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs and returns Monday. He and Simmons played two seasons together at Mississippi State before both were first-round picks in 2019 — Simmons went 19th to the Titans, then Sweat went 26th to the Commanders — and are very compatible on and off the field.

“There’s history there,” Sweat said. “We were best buds in college, so it’s just good to have an old friend back.”

But Simmons is the kind of best bud who doesn’t hold back. Everybody needs a friend who tells them the truth, even if it’s unpleasant, and Sweat has that in his new next-door neighbor in the Halas Hall locker room.

In Simmons’ lengthy explanation of his leadership style and how he has learned to communicate carefully and effectively, he took a short detour when mentioning Sweat.

“He’s been around me long enough,” Simmons said. “I could go talk to him a little crazy and be like, ‘You need to get it going.’”

That’ll hit harder than anything a coach says.

The Bears can use Simmons’ help in their pass rush right away. He had four sacks in the first seven games for the Titans and was an All-Pro last season with a career-high 11. The Bears haven’t had a player get 11 in a season since Robert Quinn in 2021, and a defensive tackle hasn’t done that for them since Jim Flanagan in ’95.

Johnson indicated Saturday the plan for Simmons’ debut is to put him in advantageous situations where it won’t matter that he’s had only a few days to learn the playbook. He played 87% of the snaps for the Titans, but Johnson doubted his workload would be that high Monday.

Even in a limited role, they expect Simmons to boost to everyone around him. Whether on the field or the sideline, he’ll have everyone’s attention.