Isaiah Simmons could be on the verge of his best season for the Arizona Cardinals. With all the talk about how bad Arizona will be in 2023, any news is good news. But finally, this veteran player looking to re-establish a career might be able to do just that.
As training camp rolls on at State Farm Stadium, both the Cardinals and Simmons seem to have found each other at just the right time. Head coach Jonathan Gannon says the safety position begins with “reliability”. Thus far, Simmons is living up to his end of the bargain.
One position. Defensive back.
The #AZCardinals have a plan for Isaiah Simmons as he enters Year 4.
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Simmons is finally home in his new/old position. When recruited out of high school, Clemson did so as a safety. In Arizona, he’s been something of a defensive utility player with linebacker as his primary role. It was a role that simply didn’t suit him as well as playing safety does.
With a Cardinals team brimming with more questions than answers, having Simmons, Budda Baker, and Jalen Thompson working deep is sure to keep Arizona in a few games. For a young offense, especially one without veteran Kyler Murray, staying close by whatever means will help.
Isaiah Simmons Is Back Where He Belongs
Simmons has maintained a great attitude. He knows he’s played where needed. But when the question was finally asked, he was honest. “I told them I didn’t want to play linebacker,” Simmons said recently. “I felt more comfortable getting back to things I had done in the past.”
Simmons played the past three seasons at the linebacker position. However, the Cardinals did use the hybrid-type player elsewhere. According to PFF, a little more than half of his 896 snaps were scattered on defense. He played slot cornerback (409 snaps), wide corner (28 snaps), and free safety (53 snaps). Simmons added another 110 on the defensive line.
At 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, the former Clemson standout had a body built for both safety and linebacker. In his senior season, Simmons’ time was spent in the secondary and at deep safety. He netted 16.5 tackles for a loss and had eight pass breakups and three interceptions. However, it was a different story when he arrived in Arizona.
With the Cardinals, he struggled over his first two seasons, with only 3.5 sacks, and nine total pass breakups. Simmons would add five forced fumbles as well as 159 combined tackles. It was becoming increasingly clear that the hybrid approach was not a successful one for Arizona or Simmons.
“Moving forward I’ll be with the defensive backs.”
Isaiah Simmons officially confirms his position change from LB to DB. pic.twitter.com/MrksrQDk00
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) June 13, 2023
The depth chart at his new position has him listed third behind Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson. For Simmons, that is not an issue as much as his newfound comfort in an area of the field he’s familiar with.
“There were times I was playing a position because we were down with injuries,” Simmons said. “It’s just certain circumstances that played into me playing some positions, as opposed to doing what was best for me.” Courtesy – Yahoo Sports
Baker, Thompson, and now Simmons give Arizona some stability as the Cardinals look to hang in for what could be a rough 2023. Is Simmons on the verge of his best season yet? In a contract year, he’s now playing where he wants on the field, meaning success and failure is in his hands.
Main Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK
