Jeffery Simmons has spent the past two weeks adjusting to life with the Chicago Bears, and the results have been immediate.
The team is 2-0 since acquiring the four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro from the Tennessee Titans in a deal that cost Chicago two first-round picks and a fourth/fifth-round swap.
At 7-2 overall and currently on their bye, the Bears look like a club that believes a long-awaited Super Bowl is within reach.
During the break, Simmons appeared on the Rich Eisen Show and addressed the moment that once defined his public relationship with quarterback Caleb Williams.
Ahead of Williams’ first NFL start in 2024, Simmons had singled out the rookie’s painted fingernails as a point of trash talk. Eisen replayed the old clip, and Simmons treated the memory with a laugh rather than defensiveness.
“That was part of the tactic. Let’s just say that, trying to get into a rookie head,” Simmons said. “And I don’t know how much he paid attention to it. It blew up, of course. But that year, obviously they won that game that year.”
He acknowledged the irony of their current situation.
“It’s definitely crazy. That’s definitely one of the first things that I saw people attack me [on]. And, of course, I thought about that,” Simmons continued. “I’m like, ‘Dang, a couple years ago I was just talking about painted nails, and now I’m teammates with him.’”
Any lingering awkwardness appears to have given way to genuine respect.
Simmons said watching Williams from the opposite sideline never fully prepared him for what he has seen since joining the Bears.
The quarterback’s arm talent on national television was already obvious; the daily habits inside the building have been even more striking.
“It’s amazing to me just being on the sideline. Because you watch Caleb on the primetime games after my game’s over with, or you see him on Thursday night, and you see the crazy throws and you see how when he’s on the field, the Bears is a totally different team,” Simmons said.
“Now to actually be in the building, it’s like insane man. … As I’m getting ready to leave outta the building, I still see Caleb on the field. This is like an hour or so after practice. You can see why he’s having the success he’s had. He’s putting in the time to want to be great.”
That combination of veteran disruption up front and a young quarterback who stays after practice has Chicago positioned near the top of a crowded NFC North.
The Bears return against the New Orleans Saints on November 22 as 9.5-point favorites at Soldier Field, then travel to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Lions.
A win by Detroit over New England this Sunday would knot the two clubs at 7-2, while Minnesota sits just a game back. Simmons’ arrival has not resolved every question about the roster, but it has clarified the level of belief inside the locker room.
