Bears QB Caleb Williams Called Out by All-Pro, Week 1 Opponent

Getty Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will face the Titans in Week 1 of his rookie season.

The start of the 2024 NFL regular season is still more than two months away, but Tennessee Titans star Jeffery Simmons is already teasing the smack-talk he has prepared for Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in Week 1.

Simmons joined ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ on June 25 and spoke about his smack-talking tendencies throughout his first five seasons as an NFL defensive lineman. He admitted he tends to keep “family” out of his remarks but otherwise makes it his mission to try to get under his opponents’ skin, whether it be quarterbacks or their offensive linemen.

Naturally, Eisen asked Simmons about playing the Bears in Week 1 and having the chance to be one of the first NFL defenders to face Williams in his pro career. And before Eisen could even finish his question, Simmons interjected: “Painted nails.”

“I can’t wait to say that to him,” Simmons said, laughing. “It’s going to be one of them games. I mean, he probably gets smack-talked by his teammates right now, but… especially [in] a game like that. … It’s gonna be the first game of the season. They’ve got us coming to Chicago. All the hype’s gonna be around them, of course.

“A game like Chicago, I’m sure they’re thinking we’re about to get beat bad. So that also makes me talk even more smack, boosts me up even more, gets me into a different mode as well. I’ll be in a different mode that game.”

Jeffery Simmons: Caleb Williams is ‘a Helluva Player’

Simmons is doing a fine job of stirring the pot. He knows one of the loudest online criticisms about the No. 1 overall rookie has been his interest in painting his nails, something he did during his college career at USC. The non-meatheads have come to understand that Williams does this to honor his mother, who is a manicurist, but it hasn’t stopped the storyline from running wild with certain groups of NFL fans.

And if Simmons can use it to get under Williams’ skin in Week 1, it is an effective tool.

Simmons, however, also understands the hype surrounding a No. 1 pick like Williams. He will still be looking to give him his “welcome-to-the-league” moment during their season-ending matchup, but he has respect for his game from what he saw in college.

“I get it,” Simmons said. “You’ve got a first-round pick like Caleb Williams, which is a great player. Watching a couple games when he was at USC and he’s a helluva player, but it’s a different league and I’m excited to play him the first game.”

Can Bears Protect Caleb Williams From Titans Defense?

Williams will face his first true NFL test on September 8 when the Bears host the Titans for their season opener at Soldier Field. As far as Simmons and the rest of Tennessee’s pass-rushing unit goes, though, they are more of a test for the Bears’ offensive line.

The Bears made some improvements to their offensive line during the 2024 offseason. They traded for interior veteran Ryan Bates — who can play either guard or center — and signed former Los Angeles Rams starting center Coleman Shelton to the mix. They also drafted rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round with eyes on making him their new swing tackle for the upcoming season.

Is the unit up to the task of protecting Williams, though?

The Bears are also banking quite a bit on returning veterans to improve. There are reasons to be optimistic about continued growth for tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, but injuries are a problem for guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis. The latter fell especially flat in his first season with the Bears, potentially to the point where he could lose his starting job in training camp if Bates competes against him.

The Bears have high expectations for Williams’ rookie season, but he could have a tough time meeting those expectations if his offensive line struggles to find its way in 2024.