Seahawks facing upgraded Bears, who traded for Jeffery Simmons

RENTON — Mike Macdonald is so process-oriented that when the Seahawks landed All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson this week, there wasn’t much of an emotional reaction.

What about when another team trades for good players to add to their rosters, especially teams the Seahawks are about to play? Does that draw a response from the Seahawks coach?

“What do you think?” Macdonald deadpanned on Thursday.

The Seahawks’ acquisition of Nelson seemed to break the seal on the NFL’s trade season. Within a few hours, San Francisco countered the acquisition of Nelson by trading for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The Seahawks will feel the impact of that deal next month when they face the 49ers again.

Then came the move Thursday morning that the Seahawks will see firsthand on Monday night as the Chicago Bears landed All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee.

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Three contenders all making dramatic and decisive moves to enhance their rosters before next week’s trade deadline seems to speak about how open the race is among the good teams in the NFC.

“We got a lot of respect for him. They do a great job on defense, so he’s only going to make them better,” Macdonald said. “We expect him to play and be out there, so we have to have a plan for him.”

The Seahawks have seen Simmons their fair share the past few years, so there is familiarity. The Seahawks held joint practices with the Titans during training camp in 2024 and again last August, and played against the Titans last season in Nashville. Considering how infrequent the teams match up on the schedule, that’s a decent amount of reps against one of the best at his position in the entire league.

“An elite player that has an elite pass rush, high motor, high-effort guy,” Seahawks guard Grey Zabel said. “It’s one of those deals you wake up this morning and smile a little bit as you look at it. But at the end of the day you want to go against the best and he is the best. It’s going to be a fun time Monday night.”

Zabel praised Simmons after playing against him last season in a November victory, saying he was “humbled” by the defensive tackle during Seattle’s win.

On Thursday, Zabel said that facing a player like Simmons can quickly highlight your deficiencies.

“You kind of learn your downfalls more than anything going up against a player like that,” Zabel said. “He’s an unbelievable person, unbelievable player, so it’s exciting to get to go up against him.”

Simmons has started each of the first seven games for Tennessee and already has 38 tackles and seven sacks. Last season, he finished with a career-high 11 sacks for the Titans when he was named first-team All-Pro for the first time.

Simmons will be joining a defensive line that will also be getting pass rusher Montez Sweat back this week following a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The Bears were already tied for seventh in the league in total sacks and now their defensive front received a significant injection of talent.

Nelson saw Simmons just two weeks ago when the Colts played the Titans.

“He’s an amazing football player, competitor. I was like, ‘Man, can’t get away from this guy,’” Nelson said. “It’ll be another battle against him this week.”