The Chicago Bears have already felt the impact that their trade for Jeffery Simmons has had on the field and in the locker room.
Others have noticed it too.
Hall of Famer Cris Carter spoke highly of the deal and how evident it is that Simmons is a difference-maker in the NFL, the kind that could help push the Bears further into Super Bowl contention.
“I’m a wide receiver, and I know I’m a diva. I got all the traits of a wide receiver, but I love big people,” Carter said on “Inside Football” on November 12. “Jeffrey Simmons, what he brings to that Chicago, their whole makeup–they were predominantly a man-to-man defense. Now they can concentrate on playing zone. They were getting their frame tore out. The confidence the linebackers are playing at. And when you get a guy who’s been a perennial loser–.”
Simmons entered the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and enjoyed immediate success with three straight Pro Bowl trips. The situation devolved from there, though.
The Titans have had four straight losing seasons since.That includes back-to-back three-win campaigns, and they are 1-7 entering Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That is to say nothing of his lack of exposure in primetime games due to the Titans’ poor play as a whole.
Bears Praised Over Jeffery Simmons Trade
HoFer Cris Carter Praises Bears for Jeffery Simmons Trade
Bears defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett spoke about Simmons’ impact going beyond the quotes in the media and even his play on the field, noting that he frequently coaches his teammates up.
Still, Carter sees Simmons’ impact on his teammates manifesting on the field.
“I knew Jeffrey Simmons was big, but I didn’t know he was that big,” Carter said. “I knew he was good, but I didn’t know he had that versatility. Now, I knew he was mean, but I didn’t know how effective a trash talker he was. We’ve been missing some gems with him being down in Tennessee. We need to mic him up every game, man. Man, he got real conversation for people. Chicago has a leader on defense,” Carter said.
“The DBs, now they tough. They tough guys now because they got that big guy, that bodyguard up there. So, I love what they did. Chicago is going for it.”
On bye, the Bears are 2-0 with Simmons and in first place in the NFC North, pending Week 10’s results. They have the second-best odds in the NFC to win the Super Bowl, and fourth-best overall, per FanDuel on November 12.
In the NFC, only the San Francisco 49ers have better odds.
The Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars–whom the Bears will face in Weeks 15 and 13, respectively–are the only other teams with better odds as of Thursday night.
Simmons and the Bears must make it to the Super Bowl for that to even matter, though. First, they must get past the New Orleans Saints in Week 11. New Orleans will enter that matchup at 3-5 but with a share of first place in the NFC South.
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