The Jumping Green Dot: Cardinals' Isaiah Simmons to Relay Calls Heading into Season
Isaiah Simmons said Tuesday that the green dot will be on his helmet come Week 1 when the Arizona Cardinals face the Kansas City Chiefs.
That dot, identifying which player will relay defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's calls to the rest of the unit, has had quite the journey in Arizona the past couple of offseasons.
General manager Steve Keim drafted inside linebacker Zaven Collins in the first round of the 2021 draft and said he would relay the calls as a rookie. That didn't play out as veteran Jordan Hicks kept the starting role ahead of Collins last year.
Hicks was let go and signed elsewhere this offseason, leading to questions as to who would take the mantle in 2022.
Safety Jalen Thompson said at the start of camp that several players were trying it out, but the plan was for him to don the speaker in his helmet during the season. He acknowledged that it is unusual for a safety to have that job, but he felt he was ready for it.
Instead, Simmons, who said he's still mainly a linebacker but will play in many spots this season, will take the responsibility for the first time in his playing career.
"I like it, I get the play first, so I can't forget it and I don't have to worry about not hearing the call from anyone," Simmons said.
"I feel like maybe in the past, we've had some times where guys weren't getting the call. But me being involved with the secondary, I realize the stress of getting the call to everybody, especially the far-side corner. So I feel like ever since I've started calling it, we've been able to get the call out and get lined up."
The third-year Cardinal has been among players with the green dot throughout camp as Thompson mentioned. Collins has also, as Joseph said at the start of camp.
Simmons getting to relay the calls in the regular season, though, has been a recent development.
He said other defenses he's played in have been signal based, and that it takes a lot of conditioning to run around and tell everyone the play.
"VJ pulled me to the side and he's like, 'Everything I say in that mic, I need you to tell everybody,'" Simmons said.
"Sometimes he just talks the whole time so I'm over there like, 'Oh my god, are you serious?' It's all for the good, though, all is helpful. So I understand that if he's telling me, it's important for everybody."
