Why The Bears Were Blown Away By Jeffery Simmons’ First Practice

The Chicago Bears tried the finesse approach in the trade market when they inquired about DeForest Buckner in Indianapolis. That went nowhere. At that point, general manager Ryan Poles seemed to have his first true “F**k it” moment. He called his friend Mike Borgonzi, now general manager of the Tennessee Titans, and offered two 1st-round picks for star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Borgonzi, who’d been resistant to even contemplating such an idea, was forced to face reality. His team was 1-6 and clearly needed rebuilding. Two 1st-rounders would be an ideal way to fast-track that. After some back-and-forth, a deal was struck.

Poles and the Bears coaching staff were overjoyed at the news. They all knew the reputation Simmons carried. He was probably the best interior pass rusher in the NFL—arguably the most dominant since Aaron Donald. Adding him to the middle of this defense would be like getting a cocktail super soldier serum. What the Bears weren’t prepared for was the added layer that made Simmons great: his leadership. Most great players are that way because of on-field exploits. A select few go out of their way to make others better. According to Dan Wiedere of The Athletic, Simmons did that in his very first practice.

During Simmons’ first practice as a Bear last Friday, Garrett couldn’t help but marvel at how energized and engaged he was. With new teammates whose names he was still learning, Simmons spent part of one individual pass-rush drill offering trade secrets. Hand placement tips. Suggested moves to try. Positive reinforcement on things he loved seeing.

“Another coach on the field,” Garrett said. “The leadership is infectious.”

As excited as Garrett was to feel Simmons’ immediate presence, he was more impressed with how it resonated with teammates.

Jeffery Simmons really is like Reggie White.

Now, before people cry outrage at such a comparison, here’s an explanation. Recently, I wrote an article detailing how the rise of these Bears parallels that of the 1990s Green Bay Packers. You had the rocket-armed QBs in Brett Favre and Caleb Williams. Then came the offensive wizard head coaches, Mike Holmgren and Ben Johnson. Lastly, the defensive line enforcers arrived. Reggie White signed as a free agent. Everybody knew his reputation as the most dominant pass rusher in the game. What teammates didn’t realize was how committed he was to being a leader. It was infectious.

It sounds like the Bears are having a similar experience with Jeffery Simmons. They would’ve been more than happy just to get the guy who wreaks havoc on Sundays. Realizing that he is determined to help everyone around him become the best versions of themselves is the icing on the cake. It’s no wonder guys have taken to him so quickly. Players are smart enough to sense when somebody can make them better. They gravitate to such people. Most of the time, those are coaches. For it to be a teammate? That is pretty cool.

It’s hard to pinpoint the last time the Bears had someone like this.

Sure, they’ve had great defensive linemen over the years, but no one who was equal parts this dominant and this present as a leader. You’d probably have to go all the way back to Dan Hampton in the 1980s. Everybody remembers how critical he was to those all-time great defenses in the middle of the decade. That is basically what the Bears just did. They added a prime Hampton at the trade deadline. It is little wonder the effect was immediate. Guys like that don’t get traded often. It speaks to how fortunate the Bears were.

Simmons could’ve easily taken a modest approach. It was a new locker room. He could’ve felt like he needed to earn respect before having the right to say anything. Nope. He wanted to win. The best way to do that was by injecting his hard-won knowledge and experience into the mix right away. His reputation had preceded him. Guys would listen. The impact was obvious on Monday night.