The Chicago Bears are ecstatic to have their star defensive lineman, Jeffery Simmons, in the building and ready to make an impact on their Super Bowl chances. Other questions need to start being asked about how this affects other players like Shemar Turner.
Simmons comes in as the undisputed starter at defensive tackle alongside Grady Jarrett. How the rotation will look after that is a completely different topic, with defensive line depth.
Defensive tackles like James Lynch also play defensive end. Turner is in the same boat, but whether he's a long-term fit for the Bears after Simmons' trade is an interesting question.
Shemar Turner has not been able to make a strong first impression on the Bears
The hope was that when the Bears selected Turner in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he would make an immediate impact on the pass rush. In his rookie season, things didn't work out that way.
Turner played only five games before he tore his ACL against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, ending his season. He finished the year with six tackles and two tackles for loss.
Entering 2026, there was hope he could bounce back, but he had to start the season on the PUP list. He has finally played the last two games and recorded two tackles.
Pro Football Focus has given him an overall grade of 57.4. He also has a pass-rush grade of 53.1 and a run-defense grade of 59.3.
Does Shemar Turner even still have a future with the Bears after Jeffery Simmons' trade?
Turner has been asked to play both interior defensive lineman and edge rusher in Chicago. Even before Simmons' arrival, Turner had played only 20 defensive snaps in two games. Keep in mind, the Bears did not have Montez Sweat (suspension) and Dayo Odeyingbo (IR) in those games.
The Bears would love to see Turner emerge as the great pass rusher they were hoping he would be, but it's just not happening. He's in this weird spot where Chicago may not have enough snaps for him to play with the roster as it is.
It does leave some to wonder whether the Bears are even going to make him active for their upcoming Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is going to have a tough time keeping guys like Sweat, Simmons, and Austin Booker off the field.
This doesn't mean that Turner is going to get released this season or even next season, but the Bears are going to have to decide what to do with him. They got him in the second round, but they are not looking for him to average just 10 snaps a game.
Read more: By the numbers: Everything the Bears are getting in Jeffery Simmons
There may have to be a conversation next offseason about how they view Turner and whether he has a future on the team. This second half of the season could end up being make or break for the young defensive line. If he gets snaps, Turner better take advantage of it.
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