Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons will play out the fourth and final year of his rookie contract this season.
The Cardinals have declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Simmons’ rookie deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
That means Simmons will play this year with a cap hit of $6.574 million. The fifth-year option would have been a guaranteed salary of $12.722 million in 2024.
Simmons is slated to hit free agency in March of 2024. If he plays well in new head coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense, the Cardinals may try to work out a deal to keep him, but for now they’re ready to give him the chance to leave next year.
