Matt LaFleur Praises New Packers Hybrid Linebacker

On Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers announced the signing of linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Simmons, a former 8th-overall draft selection, spent his last two seasons with the New York Giants and possesses the versatility to play multiple different positions on defense.

He now joins one of the league’s youngest and most talented linebacker groups in Green Bay.

Former New York Giants linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When asked about his plan for Simmons, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur sounded very optimistic and excited about the team’s newest addition.

“Just to get him in here, obviously he’s going to be in the linebacker room,” LaFleur said on Friday. “He’s got a lot of versatility to do a lot of different things. I know in New York, when we went against them a couple of years ago, specifically situationally, he was all over the place. So I think that just tells you his mental capacity in order to understand defensive schemes, and we had a lot of great conversations with him leading up to him signing with us.”

Simmons is on a one-year contract with a cap hit of just $1,197,500, making this a very low-risk, high-reward move for general manager Brian Gutekunst and the team.

“I think we have a vision for him and we’ll just watch and see how that progresses over time,” LaFleur added.

Over his two seasons with the Giants, Simmons started just five games while primarily being a rotational backup and special-teams player.

During Simmons’s first season in New York, he played 33% of defensive snaps. He finished with a 68.9 PFF grade and ranked as a top-10 coverage linebacker in the league.

In 2024, the 26-year-old had his least productive season of his career, starting one game and playing just 17% of all team defensive snaps. Simmons finished the season with a 45.6 overall PFF grade, which ranked as 170th out of 189 eligible linebackers.

Simmons is capable of playing as an off-ball linebacker, edge rusher, nickel, and safety, giving Green Bay even more versatility on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Clemson product can get back to his level of play prior to last season, this deal will age incredibly well for the Packers.

The former Giant is now reunited in Green Bay with a previous teammate.

Yes, I asked X (Xavier McKinney) and X gave him two thumbs up,” LaFleur added. “He said he’s a great teammate and that’s all I needed to hear.”

McKinney, a previous team captain with the Giants, played one season with Simmons in New York before he signed with the Packers. The All-Pro safety vouching for this signing is a great sign.

Simmons will be added to a versatile and explosive linebacker room that already consists of Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie.

A defense that allowed the sixth-fewest points per game (19.9) last season has the potential to become even better under second-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Matt LaFleur Praises New Packers Hybrid Linebacker

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