New Bears DT Jeffery Simmons' arrival at Halas Hall has been flawless, on and off the field

Amid the whirlwind of getting traded — very abruptly — from the Titans to the Bears, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons compartmentalized the upheaval and focused all his attention on preparing to debut on short notice against the Seahawks on Monday.

He asserted himself as a pseudo-captain from the jump, got the game plan mostly down and picked out a bright orange undershirt so his young daughter could find him on TV.

But he missed one crucial detail.

After the Bears’ 34-17 win in Seattle, coach Ben Johnson gathered everyone in the visiting locker room at Lumen Field for his post-game recap, game balls and what has become his signature celebration, the stanky leg.

Simmons laughed at that last part, but when Johnson went into his, “Good, better, best,” chant, he was lost. Defensive end Montez Sweat, a college buddy of his from Mississippi State, tried to help him, but Simmons couldn’t catch up.

“I’ve definitely been on YouTube trying to figure that out and make sure I’m good for next game,” he said. “Next game, especially when I’m on camera like that, I’ll know the words. I’ll be ready.”

That aside, his arrival at Halas Hall has been flawless.

Simmons hasn’t needed any acclimation on or off the field. He was everything the Bears craved at the heart of their defense with six tackles, a sack and various assists to teammates Monday, and within a matter of days, he has established himself as a leader.

His résumé in that department is as impressive as the four Pro Bowl selections he earned on the grass. Simmons had an ideal mentor early in his career in former Bears safety Kevin Byard and became a Titans captain himself at just 24.

One of his passions outside football is fishing, which he learned from his grandfather while growing up in the tiny town of Macon, Miss., and he used it to bond with Titans teammates. And yes, he trash talks even while fishing.

When quarterback Cam Ward got drafted, Simmons took him out on the water, so as Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to connect with his new teammate, he might want to stop by Bass Pro Shops.

Williams said Wednesday he and Simmons hadn’t had much time to talk yet, but already something caught his attention. As players packed up the locker room at Lumen, Williams told teammates to tidy up and not leave a mess for staffers.

Simmons wasn’t around when he said that, but great minds think alike, and he went around the room picking up trash before he left.

“He's an All-Pro, he's a this and that; he could walk out, and nobody would say anything, [but] he's cleaning up the whole locker room, offensive and defensive side,” Williams said. “That's who he is... He's going to lead those guys and make those guys better.”

Simmons recognized quickly that the Bears, under Johnson, already have been winning and have an airtight culture, so his intent was essentially to fit into that framework.

He brought his own flair to it, starting Day 1 by challenging Sweat and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to play better with him by their side, but in many ways, joining a team stacked with serious, veteran players was an environment he idealized and sought to foster with the Titans.

“I’m not trying to change anything that’s already been built around here,” Simmons said of the Bears. “How can I elevate that even more? That’s with my play, and off the field is where a lot of games are won. Things that we don’t think matter or may seem small at the time, that’s what helps good teams become great teams.”

He still has a lot to sort out — he’s living in a hotel and adjusting to calling his daughter on FaceTime instead of seeing her daily — and fortunately the Bears have a bye week after their game Sunday night against the Buccaneers. His family is coming to town for that game, his first at Soldier Field as a Bear, and then he has a window to return to Nashville before the Bears start practicing for their Nov. 22 game against the Saints.

It's a sharp turn for a player who had spent life exclusively in the South until last week and signed a three-year contract extension in June thinking he might play his entire career for the Titans. But as Simmons said, “Things change,” and he seems at home on the football field no matter where it is.