Bears trade for Jeffery Simmons before Monday's clash with Seattle

The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans on Thursday in a trade that sent two future first-round draft picks to Nashville. The move places Simmons in uniform for the Bears' Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, a matchup the two teams also played in the NFC divisional round last January.

Simmons, 29, spent his entire seven-year career with the Titans before this trade. He played 86.6% of defensive snaps for Tennessee this season, a rate that reflects his importance to that defense. The Bears view him as a cornerstone for their own unit. Simmons said he is ready to play Monday night, though he is still catching up on the new playbook. “I’m still trying to catch up with the playbook, get this game plan down and just trust the process, especially with this first week,” Simmons said. “But at the same time, I’m ready to roll.”

This will be Simmons' first prime-time game in three years. He last played in such a slot on Nov. 2, 2023, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will face the Seahawks on Monday and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football the following week. He will also line up against Seahawks left guard Quenton Nelson, whom Seattle acquired from the Indianapolis Colts this week. Simmons and Nelson have faced each other annually since Nelson joined the Colts.

The Bears enter the game with a 5-2 record, while the Seahawks are 4-3. The Seahawks have lost only three games this season, all by a combined eight points. Their defense ranks first in the league in total yards allowed per game at 233.9 and first against the pass at 144.4 yards per game. They also lead the league in interceptions with eight. Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald are both known for emphasizing physical play at the point of attack.

On the offensive side, the Bears lost tight end Cole Kmet to a season-ending right knee injury in their Week 7 win over the New England Patriots. Kmet played 62% of offensive snaps this season. The Bears will rely on second-year tight end Colston Loveland and rookie Sam Roush to fill those reps. Roush has played 22% of snaps and caught three passes for 33 yards this season. Loveland, who is playing 86% of snaps, was listed as questionable with a neck injury but practiced in full on Saturday and holds no designation for the game.

The Seahawks will look to leverage the skills of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL with 867 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He has surpassed 100 receiving yards in six of his last seven games. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen noted that Smith-Njigba wins one-on-one matchups in the red zone. The Bears will also deal with Seattle's running game, which includes rookie Jadarian Price and veteran Zach Charbonnet, both of whom are expected to return from injuries this week.

The game kicks off at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN. The Bears ruled out running back Kyle Monangai on Saturday with toe and thumb injuries. Linebacker D’Marco Jackson and cornerback Malik Muhammad II are listed as questionable, while linebackers T.J. Edwards and Jack Sanborn are expected to return from injuries.