Former Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Isaiah Simmons is signing with the Carolina Panthers, as made official by the team.

Simmons was added to Carolina’s practice squad after a slew of injuries at the position opened up a spot for the former No. 8 overall pick.

Simmons has been a free agent since being released by the Green Bay Packers earlier this season.

Prior to his summer in Green Bay, he spent two seasons with the New York Giants.

Isaiah Simmons’ Career in Arizona

Simmons was considered a unicorn coming out of the draft after an exciting career at Clemson were he aligned at numerous spots from linebacker to edge to defensive back for the Tigers, making him a versatile weapon any defensive coordinator would dream of.

Simmons was considered a unique prospect thanks to his blend of size, speed and versatility – though he never really came close to hitting his ceiling in the desert.

Simmons played a variety of spots during his three years with the Cardinals – though the first two years featured him as a linebacker while his final season saw him adopt more of a slot corner approach.

When Jonathan Gannon’s regime took over in 2023, Simmons failed to impress and was traded to New York for a seventh-round pick before the regular season began.

Did Cardinals Fail Isaiah Simmons?

Many were critical of the Cardinals for moving Simmons around the defense rather than letting him master one position – including the player himself after signing with Green Bay this offseason.

“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 (h/t Paul Bretl).

“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. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL let alone stay, as well as be effective at a position, so just being able to lock in on one thing and do that 1/11 every day, I mean that’s been – I feel like – huge for me.”

That didn’t come to fruition, as he was released by the Packers as part of final roster cuts.

Did Arizona fail Simmons?

Considering a handful of other teams weren’t able to unlock his talents, it sure feels like his career trajectory isn’t on the organization.

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