The Green Bay Packers believed they had found a steal in Isaiah Simmons, based on how he performed during OTAs and continued to impress in training camp. Simmons had been stealing the show at Packers practices.
“But the Packers are giving Simmons a chance to focus on just one position at linebacker, and there’s a chance he could provide something meaningful in a specific subpackage role. Also, it’s clear he’s the preferred backup option at linebacker, so if nothing else, Simmons looks like a good bet to make the 53 at this point in camp,” Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse wrote.
His teammates also took notice of his performance on the defensive side of the ball. Even Josh Jacobs referred to him as a unicorn.
“First, he can run,” Jacobs said. “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.”
However, after a poor showing in his first preseason game, Simmons had a chance to redeem himself in the second. Unfortunately, he performed even worse.
His future in Green Bay is looking bleak. Some even compared his play to that of an undrafted free agent.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“On the first series alone, Isaiah Simmons badly misread a boot-action and gave up an uncontested 19-yard completion, and then got roasted downfield by rookie Tyler Warren for what should have been another big play. If you didn’t know, you’d think he’s a UDFA with a RAS of 3.0,” Kruse wrote.
These have been disappointing performances from Simmons, and it may be too late for him to recover. He has one final week to prove himself, but if he doesn’t start playing like the first-round draft pick he once was, he could be out of a job — possibly for good — in the NFL.
