Bears DT Jeffery Simmons talks Super Bowl hopes and Caleb Williams on The Herd
Two weeks after his trade to Chicago, Jeffery Simmons praised Caleb Williams and the Bears' title chances as the 7-2 Bears prepare to host New Orleans.
Jeffery Simmons is two games into his Chicago career, and he is already talking like a player who expects to be playing in February. The four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle joined Colin Cowherd on The Herd for a full interview, posted by FOX Sports, covering his move to Chicago, the Bears' Super Bowl chances and what it is like to play alongside Caleb Williams. ESPN also ran a clip from the interview, focused on Simmons' high praise for the quarterback.
That praise means more given where the two started. When Simmons was with Tennessee, he mocked Williams over his painted nails during a radio appearance. At his introductory press conference he called the remark nothing more than smack talk, NBC Sports reported. Since then he has made a point of lifting Williams up, and on The Herd he did it again in front of a national audience.
The trade explains why the relationship matters. Chicago sent the Titans its 2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-rounder for Simmons and a 2028 fifth, according to Sports Illustrated. The Chicago Sun-Times argued that no front office spends two firsts on a defensive tackle unless it believes it already has a championship-caliber quarterback. Ryan Poles made that call. Simmons, a first-team All-Pro last season, gives the Bears a front-line interior rusher at a position where they had been thin.
The early returns are good. Simmons debuted in the 34-17 win at Seattle, and afterward Williams told reporters, "I'm happy he's on our side," per Bleacher Report. The Bears followed that with a 27-24 home win over Tampa Bay and have won four straight.
What it means against New Orleans
The Bears are 7-2 and host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November 22 on Fox. Both losses were ugly: a 9-3 home loss to Minnesota in Week 2 and a 31-7 defeat at Green Bay. Everything else has gone their way, including the 59-37 opener at Carolina. Since the Lambeau loss they have beaten Atlanta, New England, Seattle and Tampa Bay, scoring at least 27 points each time. The defense gave up 24 to both the Patriots and the Buccaneers, and that is the area Simmons was brought in to fix.
On this site's board, which tracks seven venues, Chicago is a heavy favorite. Novig has the Bears at -525 on the moneyline. The best price anywhere is -485 at DraftKings, a gap of 40 cents on a short price. New Orleans is +426 at Novig and +430 at FanDuel, so the venues barely differ on the underdog side. The Bears are favored by 9.5 points across the market: Novig prices Chicago -9.5 at -120, and DraftKings has the best number at -110. The total sits between 48.5 and 49.5. DraftKings has the over 48.5 at -110 and bet365 the under 49.5 at -115, while Novig's under 49.5 is far out of line at -300. Sportsbook hold runs from 4.2% to 5.0% across these markets.
A nine-and-a-half-point spread means the market expects the Bears to win comfortably. Simmons' second home game will show whether Chicago's improved interior can turn a contender's record into the kind of defense he talked up on national television.