Acquired (from Tennessee Titans):
DT Jeffery Simmons
2028 5th round pick
Sent:
2027 1st round pick
2028 1st round pick
2027 4th round pick
In one massive swing ahead of the November 10th trade deadline, Ryan Poles gifted his franchise quarterback and elite head coach one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Simmons ranks 1st among all DTs in sacks and pressures over the last two and a half seasons. He’s a true game-wrecking, pocket-collapsing, DT who also plays an inhuman 87% of his team’s defensive snaps. He was also beloved with the Titans: a captain, a humanitarian, and the heart and soul of the team.
A trade like this often mortgages your future and sets yourself up for failure down the road. Just ask the 2019 to 2021 Bears after trading all their draft capital for Khalil Mack. For one, this isn’t a rental, as Simmons recently signed an extension in Tennessee. He’s under contract through 203o. The other difference is that Caleb Williams has already proven himself. Late 1st rounders shouldn’t matter much when the key pieces are already in Chicago. Poles told the media that every recent Super Bowl Champion had a star interior defensive lineman. Simmons is the last infinity stone in his Thanos gauntlet.
The Bears’ defense has overachieved their preseason expectations thanks to Dennis Allen’s genius and impressive rookies. Even the run defense has been stout, allowing only 87.6 yards/game (3rd in the NFL). The leakiest part of the unit is the pass defense when nobody gets home to the quarterback and the secondary gets beat over the top. With Simmons on board, Kyler Gordon is no longer the team’s best pass rusher. Simmons will elevate the entire unit on every single play and make opposing quarterbacks miserable. The defense instantly shifted from overachievers to intimidators.
Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are heading into test week. They play two great defenses: the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks tonight and the momentous Buccaneers on Sunday night. They’re 1st and 3rd, respectively, in yards against and have allowed a combined 16 points over their last 3 total games.
W - Blackhawks 2, Kings 1
L - Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 1
L - Bruins 5, Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Two well played games could have sparked real momentum for the Blackhawks, but blowing a 2-goal lead against the Bruins squashed any optimism moving forward. More ups and downs won’t cut it when they’re 1-4-1 and averaging 1.66 goals/game over their last 6 games. They can’t buy enough offense or consistency.
There were convincing positives this week: Anton Frondell’s 9-shot, 2-goal game, 41 shots on goal vs. the Bruins, the Moore-Nazar-Kane line, and Wyatt Kaiser’s energy. Having just one line in a groove would pay huge dividends when they’re all struggling to score. Even after some steps in the right direction, the season continues to spiral. Compete level disappears too quickly for a team built to outwork their opponents. Goals have completely vanished for a team built to rely on speed to outscore everybody. They may be headed towards a coaching change or another disastrous status quo season at the bottom of the standings.
This will be the most challenging week of the entire season: Avalanche, Panthers, Lightning, and Hurricanes. A 4-loss week could be enough to trigger catastrophic change, so they need to play their hardest and put together a couple respectable efforts against the best teams in the league.
L - Celtics 134, Bulls 99
L - Knicks 133, Bulls 127
L - Celtics 125, Bulls 111
Two and a half quarters of dominant play against the defending champion Knicks was a much needed respite from the ugly start to the season. Of course, they blew a 19-point lead on their way to another loss. Two no-shows against the Celtics were the antithesis of how they should look this season: low effort, lazy defense, and awful shooting. The Bulls are now second to last in the NBA in FG% (41.4%) and last in 3PT% (28.1%).
Regardless of how the team fares, Caleb Wilson is the main attraction. If he can take steps towards becoming a star, everything else is meaningless. He has far exceeded my hopes only 6 games into his rookie campaign and is averaging 21.2p/6.7r/2.5a. There have been full quarters where it seems like he’s the only Bulls player who cares and knows how to play with toughness and intensity. He’s starting the race further down the track, so his development could be exponential as a rookie.
The struggling Bulls have to resurrect the LeBron rivalry with 2 games vs. the 76ers while also dealing with a rematch vs. the Knicks. Tyrese Maxey (29.6 ppg) and Jalen Brunson (25.5 ppg) will be too much to handle for a defense that can’t stop anyone.
Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong won Gold Gloves. Bregman had an excellent year at the hot corner in his first season in Chicago, and PCA continues to be the best defender in all of MLB. The award should be named after PCA after he wins it for the next decade.
Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat will combine for 15 sacks over the rest of the season.
The former Mississippi State duo are reunited in Chicago and will fuel each other’s success in a revamped defense.
Sweat has been solid since arriving via trade during the 2023 season, but his overall impact and counting stats have been disappointing. His highest sack total as a Bear was last season when he reached double digits (10.0). He’s been the “star” of the defensive line but will flourish in a group where he doesn’t have to deal with double teams.
Simmons had 11 sacks last season and already accumulated 4 in Tennessee to start the year. He’ll lead the Bears’ improved pass rushing group that already has 19 sacks (T/4th) in the NFL without generating much pressure from their front four.
Combining Dennis Allen’s blitz schemes with 1-on-1 opportunities will spark the rest of the defense, and Simmons will feast on a team actually competing for something.
Jalen Brunson
After scoring 38 points in Chicago in a comeback win, Brunson paid his respects to the late Stacey King in a TV interview. The Stevenson High School grad knew the King family and wanted to say how much he respects and misses him.
