Paul Bretl | 6/12/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Versatility has been one of the hallmarks of Isaiah Simmons’ game since he was selected eighth overall in the 2020 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. At 6-4, 238 pounds with impressive athleticism, Simmons has played linebacker, nickel corner, and even some free safety during his NFL career.
As Simmons described after Thursday’s practice, that versatility has been a “gift and a curse.”
A free agent earlier this offseason, one of the things that drew Simmons to the Green Bay Packers was that the plan they had for him wasn’t to line him up all over the field and shoulder several different responsibilities right away. Now, maybe that comes down the road as he gets more acclimated to Jeff Hafley’s defense, but initially, Simmons has one sole focus: playing linebacker.
“I think really what I ran into most of my career is everybody wants me to do everything as opposed to letting me get really good at one thing first,” Simmons said after Thursday’s practice. “I fully believe in Haf’s plan. He’s letting me just lock in and learn a small portion first before we even think about expanding to anything else.
“That’s something I really appreciate because I never really had that opportunity to really just hone in on one position. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL let alone stay, as well as be effective at a position, so just being able to lock in on one thing and do that 1/11 every day, I mean that’s been I feel like huge for me.”
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As a former top 10 pick, Simmons’ career up to this point hasn’t played out as hoped when selected that high in the draft. Although he put up impressive numbers early on in his career, totaling over 200 tackles, four sacks, six forced fumbles, and seven passes defensed between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he spent just three years with Arizona–the team that drafted him–and didn’t make it through his rookie deal before he was traded to the New York Giants in 2023.
With the Cardinals, Simmons saw most of his playing time in his final season in 2022 come from the slot, where he was matched up against wide receivers, but he also saw snaps at safety, cornerback, and linebacker during his time there as well.
Then, over the last two seasons with New York, Simmons struggled to find consistent playing time and was on the field for fewer than 600 defensive snaps during that span, including only 181 in 2024, along with a modest 146 snaps coming on special teams.
Simmons made it clear that he wasn’t going to make excuses for how his career has played out up to this point. However, the constant movement from one position to the next early on, whether it be due to injuries or the need for improved play, didn’t quite allow him to find his footing and establish himself at any one spot either.
“There’s games where maybe I have like three snaps,” Simmons said of his time with the Giants, “and they be like kickoff, all touchbacks, you know what I’m saying. It’s just a lot of times where maybe I couldn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together on what things were happening. It was frustrating, but the only thing it did was, when the season ended, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘This will never happen again.’
“At the end of the day, coaches make the decisions, but it’s up to me to make the decision hard for them. I vowed to myself that I would make the decision tough for every single coach in the future.”
Simmons joins an established Packers’ linebacker room. Quay Walker is entering his fourth NFL season, Edgerrin Cooper had a breakout rookie season, and the Packers re-signed Isaiah McDuffie this offseason, along with Ty’Ron Hopper–a third-round pick in 2024–still being in the mix as well.
During this week of minicamp practices, with Walker sidelined with an injury, Simmons has had the bulk of the snaps next to McDuffie and Cooper when the Packers are lined up in their base 4-3 defense. He’s played both the SAM and WILL positions. Then, when in nickel, McDuffie and Cooper have been the two linebackers on the field.
It’s far too early to say where Simmons stands on the linebacker depth chart, other than that he is behind Walker, Cooper, and McDuffie. While he saw the bulk of the starting snaps over Hopper during minicamp, we saw Hopper getting a lot of those reps during OTAs. Also, while both are linebackers at the end of the day, Hopper has been the MIKE, and that’s not a role that Simmons has been asked to fill.
Simmons wasn’t going to get into the schematic details, but when meeting with the Packers as a free agent, he recalled that the Packers described a very specific plan when it came to what role they wanted him to potentially fill on defense. Even in a linebacker room that is returning just about everyone, Simmons’ experience and skill set allows him to bring something different to this position group.
“Ultimately, my vision is just to be able to come in and help the guys in any way because as everybody knows, most people return for the team, so really what everyone was looking for here was just the few key pieces they would need to maybe surpass some of the hiccups that came about last year,”
“And with this being a young team, just like my veteran experience is one thing that will definitely be able to help, just maybe give my knowledge to some of the younger guys that haven’t maybe had as many snaps or whatever it may be. I just feel like that as well as my versatility, my speed, just being able to play sideline to sideline, hit, run, pass. I just feel like that will be able to be implemented and used in many different forms.”
Just like it’s way too early to say where Simmons might fall on the linebacker depth chart, or if he’s even going to make the initial 53-man roster, we don’t know what role he could potentially fill on defense either, other than being a backup off the bench. But with his athleticism, size, and coverage experience, often being matched up against wideouts, Simmons could carve out a niche role during obvious passing situations, where he can help patrol the middle of the field, and match up with tight ends or running backs.
“Every coordinator, they run their defenses different, have different nuances within their game, and I just feel like Haf’s defense fits me better just with how my skill type was, more so like how I played in college,” Simmons said. “He was in college recently, so that could be a part of it. But I just like his vision his creativity. I feel like I need to be with a guy who’s creative. So, kudos to him for that.”
Simmons’ ability to contribute and add a different skill set doesn’t only factor in on defense, but on special teams as well. One example of this came in practice when he was lined up as a flier, tasked with getting downfield on the punt coverage unit to limit any return opportunities.
On this one specific rep, Simmons was facing a double-team, with two jammers on him. He broke free from the initial contact and then used his speed and strength to work around the jammers and make his way downfield, where a fair catch was called by the returner.
Particularly at the linebacker position, one that is often featured on special teams, Simmons will have to continue to showcase that he can make an impact in this phase and do so on a variety of units in order to help him earn a roster spot.
“Every day, we can be best friends but, at the end of the day, you’ve got to know that we’re competing. That’s going to do nothing but make us better, whoever the guys that are going to be out there. Like I said, I’m just here to make the decision tough for the coaches because, ultimately, that’s going to be make the team better.
“Whatever happens, happens with that. If it comes to where Haf wants to figure something out to get us all going, then that’s up to them. I’m just coming in here to work every day and work my ass off.”
Joining the Packers on a one-year deal worth $1.17 million, Simmons is not a lock to make the final roster. Instead, in whatever capacity he can, Simmons will have to carve out a role, whether that be as the third linebacker, the fifth linebacker, or on special teams.
But with a clear vision established by Hafley for what he wants Simmons to do and be on this Packers team, Simmons is ready to compete, help however he can, and focus his energy on only playing linebacker.