The Green Bay Packers are likely hoping that bringing Isaiah Simmons is a low-risk, high-reward type of signing this 2025 NFL season. Moreover, Simmons probably wants to find a home after being a top 10 NFL draft pick in 2020 by the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona had high hopes for Simmons when they drafted him eighth overall, but after three years in the desert, the Cardinals declined the fifth-year option of Simmons’ contract.
In 2023, Simmons was traded to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The linebacker would play two years in the Big Apple, but this past season, he was again on the move, signing with the Packers as a free agent.
Ahead of his first season in Green Bay, Simmons is already standing out, as he earned high praise from running back Josh Jacobs.
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“First, he can run,” Jacobs told reporters on Wednesday. “He can run. He’s kind of a unicorn in that position. We can put him out on guys in the slot. He can cover guys. Really, man, I just can’t wait to see him in pads. I want to see how physical he is. Obviously, I’ve played against him a couple of times, so I know what player he is — but it’s different when you see him like that.”
Consider Josh Jacobs impressed with new #Packers linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) July 23, 2025
“He’s a unicorn.” pic.twitter.com/8iy8YBZyfz
Simmons’ best season in the NFL came in 2022, his final year with Arizona, as he recorded 99 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The Packers will be looking to help the 26-year-old find this form again and be a key player on their defense.
Since that season, the Clemson product hasn’t come close to hitting 100 tackles in a year as he was reduced to a backup role with the Giants, only starting four games in 2023 and one game in 2024. Perhaps a more prominent role could be what Simmons needs to find his past form.