Packers LB Isaiah Simmons Hopes Narrowed Focus Will Jump-Start Career

Because of his elite size and speed, versatility has been Isaiah Simmons’ calling card. He’s happy that’s changing with the Green Bay Packers.

New Packers LB Isaiah Simmons / Bill Huber/Packers On SI

GREEN BAY, Wis. – At Clemson, Isiaah Simmons won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. As the eighth pick of the 2020 draft, Simmons played just like he did in college. He lined up here, there and everywhere for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Green Bay Packers love versatile players more than perhaps any team in the NFL. With Simmons, though, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has him focusing on playing linebacker. Period.

“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 at the conclusion of Packers minicamp on Thursday. “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.

“That’s been huge for me. It’s something … that hasn’t been presented to me because my versatility, I feel like it’s a little bit of a gift and a curse, where they want you to do everything but, at the end of the day, I’m still a human.”

With Quay Walker missing the offseason practices due to injury, the Packers’ base defense the last three weeks consisted of Isaiah McDuffie at middle linebacker, flanked by Simmons and Edgerrin Cooper.

There was no lining up as an edge rusher. No lining up at safety. No matching up with receivers in the slot.

The versatility – and a freakish combination of size and athleticism – gave him some gaudy stats. In 2021, he had 105 tackles, four forced fumbles and seven passes defensed. In 2022, he had 99 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and seven passes defensed.

That’s been the gift. The curse was he wasn’t good enough at any one spot. Despite some eye-popping production, the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option and sent him to the Giants for the low, low price of a seventh-round draft pick. The Giants weren’t any good, but Simmons was almost an afterthought, anyway. He started only five games and played 558 snaps the last two seasons. In Week 16 against Atlanta, he played zero snaps on defense and four on special teams.

“I’m actually very grateful for New York for what they did,” Simmons said. “They lit a fire under me, and I’m ready to go.”

In free agency, Simmons said he was looking for “somebody who envisioned me coming in and making an impact, being able to help the team out in some shape or form. To me, it seemed like Green Bay had the best plan, was most excited about me and liked me.”

Hafley’s plan is simple. Play linebacker.

On a defense that finished in the top six in points allowed and points allowed last season, Simmons said the team views him as a missing piece.

“Honestly, when I came here, they were nothing but upfront,” Simmons said. “They were like, ‘We’re just going to be completely candid. Most of our guys are coming back. There are a few pieces that we need and you happen to be one of them.’

“So, they let me know that in the other places that they’re good at their position, which, that’s amazing, because a lot of times when I had to be moved around, it was due to injuries and guys not being able to play or some people maybe weren’t good enough to play there, so then I would have to be moved around and whatnot. That was actually really encouraging to come in and know that I was going to have a specific role with how I was going to help the team and I could focus on that.”

Just what that role will become will be one of the more underrated storylines of training camp. The starting trio of linebackers, Cooper, Walker and McDuffie, are back. So, there’s no obvious path to playing time. In 2022, most of Simmons’ snaps came in the slot; the Packers have Nate Hobbs and Javon Bullard to play the nickel.

Perhaps Simmons will unseat McDuffie, who the Packers re-signed before free agency and is a favorite of Hafley and position coach Sean Duggan from their days together at Boston College. Maybe, because he’s played so much coverage, he will be a role player and be on the field on third-and-long situations.

Simmons made clear his intention. He’s ready to earn his role, whatever it is or becomes.

“Every day, we can be best friends but, at the end of the day, you’ve got to know that we’re competing,” he said. “That’s going to do nothing but make us better, whoever the guys that are going to be out there.

“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.”

Before signing, his former Giants teammate, All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney, gave the Packers a seal of approval. He’s grateful for the endorsement, and he’s grateful for the vision Hafley has to help him restart his career.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. There’s a lot of things that happened in the past years that I just don’t have the answer to of why it happened like that. That’s between whatever they got going on over there. But, nah, this year, I’m definitely looking forward to just getting back out there and just showing everybody what’s really good.”

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