Sweet Home Chicago: Simmons stymies Darnold, Seahawks in Bears debut

• Courtney CroninNov 3, 2026, 05:42 AM ET

  Close

  Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever and GameNight on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.

SEATTLE -- The four days leading into the Chicago Bears' dominant 34-17 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were life-altering for Jeffery Simmons.

The All-Pro defensive tackle pivoted from game planning with the Tennessee Titans to learning a new defense while preparing for the Seahawks after he found out he was being traded on Oct. 29.

In a matter of hours, Simmons' left his family and home of the last eight seasons to join an NFC contender.

Simmons delivered immediately for the Bears (6-2, 0-2). In his first primetime game in three seasons, the defensive tackle had a sack, six tackles (three TFLs) and deflected a pass as Chicago registered its third straight win.

"Our guys were excited the moment they heard the news that we were bringing him on and he's fit right in," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "We got a high character locker room and he is that himself. And you can feel his presence out there, whether it's during the play or even after the play, you can feel him talking a little smack as well, which I think that elevates everybody around him. So I thought he played outstanding.

"To come in there and have a share of the lead of tackles and a sack in his first game, his impact was profound."

Simmons earned a game ball for his performance on "Monday Night Football" for elevating the Bears' defense. Chicago was already the NFL's top third-down defense through Week 7 and held Seattle to one conversion on 11 attempts. That 9.1% conversion rate is the fifth lowest by a team this season.

He caused widespread issues for Seattle's offense, namely for quarterback Sam Darnold.

According to Next Gen Stats, the Seahawks were held to 3.0 yards per play (3 sacks, INT) in the 48 plays where Simmons was on the field. In the eight plays where he was off the field, Seattle averaged 13.3 yards per play.

Darnold completed less than 50% of his passes with Simmons on the field and was a perfect 5-of-5 with a touchdown when he was off.

"I know that the quarterback was definitely uncomfortable and then there was a lot of disruption," cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. "You can just feel it on the back end (of the defense) of how disruptive he can be."

Despite only practicing twice with his new team ahead of the Bears' trip to Seattle, Simmons played 85.7% (48 of 56 plays) of defensive snaps, which is shy of the 87% of plays he logged in Tennessee from Weeks 1-7.

Prior to Simmons' arrival, the Bears had the fourth-lowest pressure rate (25%) with a standard pass rush (4 or fewer lineman) since defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was hired in 2025. The defensive tackle immediately commanded extra attention which freed up his college teammate Montez Sweat for a sack, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss in his first game back from a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances.

"Jeff was just saying it to me all game, 'We need to get home with four,'" defensive end Montez Sweat said. "So those guys in the back cover, and I think DA felt that. I don't think we blitzed as much as we usually do."

Darnold was blitzed on 15% (6-of-39) of his dropbacks where he finished 3-of-5 for 71 yards, a touchdown and a sack. Allen's decision to deploy a standard pass rush was rooted in how much attention Simmons could commanded and what that did for his D-line teammates. Simmons had a team-high 34 pass rushes and was the only Bears defensive lineman to record double-digit double teams (13).

"It's a great opportunity for them," Simmons said. "Like I told them, not just Sweat, but I challenged even Grady [Jarrett] , if I'm getting a double team, I expect them to win this single block. I expect them to affect the game. But I think the great thing about it is we can all affect the game. And I was on the sideline. I was so juiced up and I was like, we don't need a blitz because I feel like if we could win the line of scrimmage without the blitzes, that make them guys' job on the back end so much easier. So it takes all 11 on the football field, but I'm not a selfish player. I'm always happy for my guys, especially they can win on one-on-ones. And it's always going to be a challenge, but it's the same thing."

According to DraftKings, Simmons moved from being tied for the eighth best odds (25-1) to 10-1 (fourth) in the Defensive Player of the Year odds after his Bears debut. His dominance was experienced by a national television audience as the Bears recorded a statement victory days after they went all in to land Simmons in hopes of winning a Super Bowl this season.

As he took the field after a whirlwind week, Simmons was intentional about compartmentalizing all of the changes he had experienced. The result was an explosive Bears' debut that leaves the defensive tackle wanting more.

"I used to set all these goals," Simmons said. "I want 10 sacks, I want tackles for loss. But I feel like when I stopped setting them goals and I would just be in the moment, be present, that's when the team got the best Jeffery Simmons. And that's what it was tonight. When I attacked the field, I wasn't worried about the trade. I wasn't worried about all the outside noise. All I was worried about is play after play, play by play and just give your team everything I got. And that's what my goal tonight, and that's going to be my goal the rest of my career is to be in the moment and just help the team win football games."