Jeffery Simmons Bio, Age, Bears Trade, Contract & Net Worth

Who is Jeffery Simmons? | Biography

Jeffery Bernard Simmons Jr. is an American professional football defensive tackle acquired by the Chicago Bears. His biography includes Mississippi high school championships, SEC football, and an established NFL career in Tennessee. The Bears announced his acquisition on October 29, 2026, in a major trade involving multiple draft selections. He arrived with four Pro Bowl selections and three Associated Press All-Pro honors. His previous season included career-best production as an interior pass-rusher.

Simmons was born in Louisiana and grew up in the Macon, Mississippi, area. He attended Noxubee County High School before enrolling at Mississippi State University. His mother, Brenda Bradley, raised a family whose experiences later influenced his community work. At Mississippi State, he studied human development and family studies while becoming a leading defensive lineman. Tennessee selected him nineteenth overall in the 2019 draft, beginning eight seasons with the Titans.

His Tennessee career developed through an injury-delayed rookie season into repeated individual recognition. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2022, followed by first-team recognition in 2025. That season brought 11 sacks and another Pro Bowl selection. The Titans subsequently agreed to a substantial contract extension in June 2026. However, the extension did not prevent an October trade, with Chicago adding him during its effort to strengthen the defense.

Beyond football, Simmons established the Give Em A Reason Foundation in 2022. Its work supports young people through mentoring, community programs, and opportunities linked to education and confidence. His public family information includes a son named Jeffery Jr., while a current spouse is not reliably established. His contract provides documented compensation, but it does not establish personal net worth. His Chicago career was beginning after years of prominence in Tennessee.

Jeffery Simmons Age | How Old is Jeffery Simmons?

Jeffery Simmons is 29 years old on the October 30, 2026 publication date. He was born on July 28, 1997, in LaSalle, Louisiana. He celebrated his 29th birthday during the summer before his trade from Tennessee to Chicago.

Jeffery Simmons Height | How Tall is Jeffery Simmons?

Jeffery Simmons stands 6 feet 4 inches, approximately 193 centimeters, according to his NFL team biography.

Jeffery Simmons Ethnicity

Jeffery Simmons’s detailed ethnic ancestry is not securely established by the reviewed primary biographies.

Jeffery Simmons Education | Mississippi State University

Jeffery Simmons attended Noxubee County High School in Macon, Mississippi, before Mississippi State University. His university biography identifies his field as human development and family studies. It also records academic recognition alongside his football achievements.

He appeared on the SEC Academic Honor Roll during his college career. Mississippi State’s account describes him maintaining a cumulative grade-point average above 3.0 while handling football responsibilities. These details establish his academic participation. The reviewed record does not independently confirm graduation.

Jeffery Simmons Wife | Is Jeffery Simmons Married?

Jeffery Simmons’s current marital status is not securely established in the reliable sources reviewed. A spouse or partner is therefore not named. His publicly documented fatherhood does not establish marriage.

Jeffery Simmons Children

Jeffery Simmons’s official biography identifies a son named Jeffery Jr. among his family details. It does not establish a complete current number of children.

Jeffery Simmons Family | Mother and Siblings

Jeffery Simmons’s mother is Brenda Bradley. His official biographies identify a brother, Dylan, and sisters Brooke and Ashley. His upbringing in Mississippi remained relevant after professional football took him to Nashville.

Simmons has connected his community work with opportunities he wanted young people to experience. Team accounts describe his mother’s role in raising the family and the importance of support beyond football. Those experiences later influenced his foundation’s emphasis on mentoring, confidence, and giving children practical reasons to pursue their goals.

Jeffery Simmons Career | Mississippi State, Titans, and Bears

Jeffery Simmons played at Mississippi State from 2016 through 2018, earning first-team All-SEC recognition during his final two seasons. Tennessee selected him nineteenth overall in 2019. An injury affected the beginning of his rookie campaign, but he subsequently became a regular defensive starter. His role expanded into repeated team captaincy and major individual honors.

He earned second-team All-Pro recognition in 2021 and 2022 before reaching the first team in 2025. His Tennessee years also included postseason appearances and a three-sack playoff performance against Cincinnati. In June 2026, he agreed to another contract extension. Four months later, Tennessee traded him to Chicago for a package featuring two first-round selections. The Bears announced the acquisition on October 29. His arrival reunited an established interior defender with a new organization while bringing his existing contractual commitments into Chicago’s plans.

Jeffery Simmons High School | Noxubee County Championships

Simmons became a major prospect at Noxubee County High School, where he played for coach Tyrone Shorter. His senior season helped the Tigers secure a second consecutive Mississippi Class 4A state championship. The team finished 12–4, with Simmons contributing across several defensive categories.

Mississippi State’s official profile credits him with 105 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks that season. He also blocked kicks and disrupted passing plays. In the championship game against St. Stanislaus, he produced 3.5 sacks. Recruiting services ranked him among the country’s leading defensive prospects. His route to college therefore began with substantial competitive achievements, rather than recognition based solely on physical measurements.

Jeffery Simmons Mississippi State | SEC Defensive Recognition

Simmons played 38 games with 28 starts at Mississippi State, developing alongside fellow defensive lineman Montez Sweat. He finished his college career with 32.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. His final season included 17 tackles for loss and second-team Associated Press All-America recognition.

His contributions also included blocked kicks, forced fumbles, and defensive scoring plays. Against Louisiana Tech in 2017, he scored through both a blocked-punt recovery and a long fumble return. Mississippi State recognized his production and leadership across three seasons. He won the 2018 Conerly Trophy, awarded to Mississippi’s leading college football player. His college record combined repeated SEC honors with a substantial role in the Bulldogs’ defensive front.

Jeffery Simmons Titans | Eight Seasons in Tennessee

Jeffery Simmons spent his first eight NFL seasons with Tennessee, beginning with the 2019 draft. By his October 2026 departure, Chicago’s acquisition announcement credited him with 106 regular-season appearances and 104 starts. His cumulative totals included 46.5 sacks and 72 tackles for loss.

His role extended beyond isolated pass-rushing statistics. Team records also documented batted passes, forced fumbles, and recovered fumbles. He appeared in five postseason games for Tennessee. Against Cincinnati in the divisional round following the 2021 season, he recorded three sacks, setting a franchise single-game postseason mark. That performance came during a period when his individual recognition expanded. Tennessee’s later struggles did not erase the established production that made him an expensive trade target.

Jeffery Simmons All-Pro | His 2025 Breakthrough

Jeffery Simmons earned Associated Press first-team All-Pro recognition for the 2025 season. He recorded a career-high 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, leading NFL interior defensive linemen in both categories. That achievement followed his earlier second-team selections in 2021 and 2022.

The distinction matters because his first first-team selection was not his first All-Pro recognition of any kind. He also accumulated four Pro Bowl selections during his Tennessee career. Those honors reflect different voting systems and should not be combined into one award. His strong 2025 performance preceded the June 2026 extension. Chicago acquired a player with repeated selections and a recent peak in interior pass-rushing production.

Jeffery Simmons Bears Trade | What Did Chicago Give Up?

The Bears acquired Jeffery Simmons in an agreement announced on October 29, 2026. Tennessee received Chicago’s 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, and 2027 fourth-round pick. Chicago also received Tennessee’s 2028 fifth-round selection with Simmons.

The exchange committed substantial future draft capital to an established defender. Chicago general manager Ryan Poles publicly welcomed Simmons, while coach Ben Johnson emphasized his impact and leadership. Tennessee’s announcement acknowledged both his playing record and community contributions. Early reports described the transaction as pending a physical, followed by Chicago’s official acquisition announcement. The confirmed development was a trade, not merely exploratory discussions.

Jeffery Simmons Foundation | Give Em A Reason

Jeffery Simmons launched the Give Em A Reason Foundation in 2022 to support young people. Its activities have included mentoring, football opportunities, school visits, and community support in Tennessee and Mississippi. Team reporting emphasizes that his involvement extends beyond making donations.

Documented initiatives include youth shopping events, meals, school equipment support, and opportunities to meet professional players. He has also participated in activities involving Big Brothers Big Sisters. Tennessee selected him as its Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2023, 2024, and 2025. These were club nominations for the national award, not three national victories. His charitable work provides a separate record of public activity alongside his performance and compensation as a professional athlete.

Jeffery Simmons Legal History | The 2016 Case

Jeffery Simmons pleaded no contest to simple assault in July 2016 following a March incident in Mississippi. Contemporary reporting also recorded a malicious mischief conviction, fines, and restitution. Another charge was dismissed. Mississippi State permitted him to enroll but suspended him for the opening game.

The incident remained part of his public record during the 2019 draft process. NFL reporting documented that he did not receive a scouting combine invitation under the league’s conduct policy. These were historical legal and football consequences. They should not be described as unresolved charges in 2026. His later professional achievements and charitable activity do not change the case’s documented disposition.

Jeffery Simmons Contract | The June 2026 Extension

Jeffery Simmons agreed to a reported three-year, $105.8 million extension in June 2026. The extension added seasons to an existing agreement, creating a contractual framework running through 2030. Tennessee confirmed the multiyear agreement, while detailed financial terms came through reporting.

Reports identified approximately $100 million in total guarantees, including guarantees subject to later conditions. A detailed contract breakdown placed the amount fully guaranteed at signing at $60.2 million. Those figures describe different contractual protections. The new-money average was approximately $35.3 million annually, rather than an identical payment in every season. Chicago’s subsequent acquisition did not transform that average into a newly announced annual salary.

Jeffery Simmons Salary

Jeffery Simmons’s reported 2026 base salary is $13 million. Published contract records separately list bonuses and total cash compensation. Base salary, annual contract average, cash paid, and salary-cap charge are different measurements. His October trade also means the year’s compensation should not automatically be attributed entirely to Chicago.

Jeffery Simmons Net Worth 2026

Jeffery Simmons’s net worth is not reliably established in public financial disclosures. His contracts document substantial gross football compensation. They do not reveal his complete assets, debts, taxes, or spending. Contract guarantees are not a verified personal wealth total.

Biography Summary