Why Giants Coaches Are Glad Isaiah Simmons is Angry

Simmons will supposedly have a role on defense against the Commanders.

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants safety Isaiah Simmons (19) talks with media during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

An angry player can be a major asset on a football team, especially if that player happens to be on the defensive side of the ball.

That’s what the New York Giants are hoping when it comes to inside linebacker/defensive back Isaiah Simmons, who after having a strong showing in the summer, was left completely out of the defensive game plan in last week’s regular-season opener.

Simmons was left perplexed and irked by the snub.

“I don’t know why — I wish I knew, but I don’t,” Simmons told reporters this week. “I was pretty shocked. I thought I had one of the better camps of my career. I was really excited about this year. It’s also a long season, but it was shocking.”

“I'm glad,” head coach Brain Daboll said when asked about Simmons’s reaction. “I want people to want to play. So, it's a competitive deal. He'll have his role each week. That could change. I'm not just saying with him–with anybody.

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who said he expects to deploy Simmons in the defense this week, echoed Daboll’s sentiments.

“I'm glad he's frustrated. They should be frustrated,” he said. “They should be disappointed. I hope they use it as fuel to come out here and improve and get better.”

And has Simmons been using the fire lit underneath his backside to get better?

“He has,” Bowen said. “He's approaching it the right way. I've been proud of him with how he's responded. We're going to get him in there. He's going to have his opportunities. When they come, he's got to make the most of it.”

Simmons, who signed a one-year contract this past offseason to return to the Giants, was projected to have a big role on the defense’s sub-packages. He will look to channel his frustrations this week against the Washington Commanders.