Bear Digest

Warning signs to overcome for top tackle linked to Chicago Bears

Not only is Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons trying to fight back from a torn patellar tendon but now a report citing anonymous scouts questioning his attitude and skill set.

Gene Chamberlain

Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons had his 2024 season end with a ride off the field on a cart after a torn patellar tendon.
Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons had his 2024 season end with a ride off the field on a cart after a torn patellar tendon. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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In late February prior to the NFL scouting combine, NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. released his mock draft 2.0.

No doubt to the bewilderment of many Bears fans at the time, he had the Bears taking an injured tackle at No. 10 instead of other higher profile offensive lineman. It was Ohio State's Josh Simmons, a tackle coming off a torn patellar tendon.

A few days later at the combine, it became apparent there could be more to it than Kiper making a blind stab at a pick during a meaningless mock draft, because the Bears had a combine interview with Simmons.

"It was really good," Simmons said of the meeting, although it would be real news if a prospect at the combine actually said it went really bad.

The interest seems more than superficial because Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson were both at the Ohio State pro day Wednesday with Simmons as one key player of interest. Simmons didn't disappoint, as he did 33 reps on the bench at 225 pounds, which would have tied for best at the combine. He also showed good movement on field drills for someone six months removed from a major leg injury.

There could be more red flags involved than selecting a player recovering from a major injury, though. Apparently some scouts have issues with Simmons.

In his annual no-holds-barred look at the draft through the eyes of anonymous scouts, longtime NFL writer Bob McGinn turned up his usual assortment of interesting opinions on players and a few were damaging regarding Simmons.

McGinn wrote of Simmons: "Removed from consideration by one team for makeup issues. Another team expressed serious reservations. 'Kind of a f-----," said a fourth scout. "His (issues) are more football character. He has a complete bull(bleep) sense of urgency, like a total finesse player. Mental is an issue. Lacks power, struggles to anchor. Fundamentals are poor. Plays like a guy that was at a JUCO and just came here."

Of course, the Buckeyes have numerous players of interest to the Bears besides Simmons, including running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.

But the interest in Simmons would be logical.

The broken ankle left tackle Braxton Jones is recovering from leaves open the possibility Poles could draft a tackle like Simmons first and immediately put him in the lineup. They might be waiting on Simmons, though, just like they'd be waiting on Jones, until sometime this summer.

Simmons' injury occured in the Buckeyes' sixth game and the 6-foot-6, 330-pound tackle never got to be part of the second half of their march to the national title.

"People get down on themselves about an injury, right?" Simmons said about dealing with his injury at the combine. "Especially when you're trying to go for so many things—only the national championship but everything else.

"You just gotta put it in the tank, right? It's just a little speed bump. If you have the right mindset, you're going to come back a lot stronger like a demon inside."

Simmons says he encounters negativity regarding his comeback all the time.

"You just can't listen to that," he said. "You have to go into rehab and just kill it every day, being mad at every single rep in rehab, just getting your mindset ready to be back to the person that you're working to become."

It seems like a tall ask for a team to take a player coming off a major knee injury as an alternative in case one coming off a broken ankle doesn't make back to the field in time.

He's also a player with a somewhat spotty start to his career. As a freshman, he played at San Diego State but transferred in 2023.

All but one of his 1,130 snaps at Ohio State came at left tackle but he was a right tackle at San Diego State and while there committed 17 of the 26 penalties he got flagged for in his career. So he had nine in two years at Ohio State playing the left side. He credited that reduction to working with former Buckeyes line coach Justin Frye, who has gone to the Cardinals.

"Obviously, it (transfer) was kind of like a gamble a little bit because you go from, like, 17 penalties—really rough around the edges—but I put my trust in coach Frye, and he did the damn thing," Simmons said.

It came down to technique, as it does so often.

"So obviously, I had a lot of technical issues," Simmons said. "So it was like, 'Let's get your stance right. Let's utilize your upper body strength. Let's get you knowing about offenses and defenses.' That way, when you get on the field, you play a lot faster.

"Then, it was about tying in techniques—different snatch moves. You see me snatch block, pull around, and try to slingshot people off the field."

Now, he sees it as only a matter of time before he's executing those moves on an NFL field, and the patient team could reap the reward.

Perhaps getting through the ordeal has changed the attitude some of the scouts said he had in McGinn's article, if there really was an issue.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.