Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Giddy Describes Halas Hall Reaction to Bears Trade for Jeffery Simmons

From the coaching staff to GM Ryan Poles, and the players, the Bears were pinching themselves after landing a long-sought key piece to their defensive puzzle.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears GM Ryan Poles is all smiles after making the trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
Bears GM Ryan Poles is all smiles after making the trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo / Chicago Bears video

In this story:

Chicago Bears

When Bears coaches around Halas Hall heard the news Thursday about the trade for Jeffery Simmons, it actually might have been someone in Cincinnati who had the best reaction.

Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor heard clapping down the hall and then got on Face Time with his brother, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

"Which, we don't normally talk until like late in the week," Press Taylor said.

Zac wore a big smile so Press assumed his brother heard the news.

"And I'm like, 'thank you,' " Press Taylor said, not realizing the real reason his brother was smiling.

" ‘No,' " Press said Zac told him. "We play the Titans this week.' '

The Bears had just removed one huge headache from the Bengals' preparation and game plan by taking Simmons away from Tennessee.

"But in all honesty, I was in the division for four years with the guy and I know it’s a nightmare," Press Taylor said of Simmons. "Twice a year it was an absolute nightmare having to deal with him, just being aware of where he is, how you’re blocking him every given play.

"And you know what he’s going to do. He’s a high-motor, incredibly productive terrifying guy to go against. I’m glad we’re not going against him anymore."

The Bears were beaming at Halas Hall Friday over having the player everyone else must scheme to block. Linebacker Devin Bush was stunned when he found out about it Thursday.

"I didn't believe it at first," Bush said. "I thought it was just fake news, but after I found out it was real I was happy."

The message delivered by the front office to the team?

"We're going after it," Bush said. "We're all in."

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has someone playing alongside now who commands attention and, no doubt, double teams.

"I was actually telling him I was watching him on film study earlier in the week, I just like to see the tenacity he plays with, the mindset," Jarrett said. "When you're on a team that's struggling (like Tennesee was) and you've got to go out there every day you've got to make your mind up to go out and compete, I've been in that situation. It just speaks to your football character.

"And obviously the intangible things we can see, just the eye test: quickness, a combination of power, and a super smart player ... I could go on all day. He's a special player."

Even special teams coordinator Richard Hightower got in on the act.

"He'll obviously have an opportunity to play field goal block like he always has," Hightower said. "He's a monster in there."

It might have been Hightower who characterized what's best about the addition of a player of this level during the middle of a season.

"We got this thing rolling now," Hightower said. "All you (Simmons) gotta do is add and come to and do what he does, no added pressure, none of that, just play ball. And that's what we're expecting from him. He's got enough pieces around him where he can just be himself. He don't need to press, any of that."

He can put the press on opposing quarterbacks, instead.

"I don't know that I've had anybody that's been what I would consider this dominant," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "I've had some good players, you know, that have played inside for us. David Onyemata (in New Orleans) comes to mind but I don't know that I've had anybody this disruptive."

The disruption should help everyone on defense.

"Drawing extra attention will help everybody up front," Jarrett said. "It will really help the whole defense. It will kind of dictate protection sometimes, where you're going to put people.

"So I think it's going to be super good for the whole team."

The negatives are the draft day cost and future cap considerations. All of that is something to worry about in the future. As Bush said, at this point it's all about winning now.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.