Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons will play this year with a cap hit of $6.574 million. The team could have picked up his fifth-year option, which would have paid him a fully guaranteed salary of $12.722 million in 2024.
Simmons, though, has not done enough for the Cardinals to commit paying him that kind of money.
Instead, Simmons is scheduled to become a free agent in 2024, making this a prove-it year.
“Yeah, had a really good talk with Isaiah. Obviously, you talk to Isaiah a lot,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday, via video from Bo Brack of PHX_Cardinals. “Really comfortable with where we’re at with him. He’s very comfortable with it. The option or whatever really doesn’t change [anything]. That’s why I love when I say I’m really comfortable with where we’re at and comfortable where he’s at is because it doesn’t change how he goes about what he’s doing. He knows he has to play well for us and for him. That’s like everybody. Really like where his mindset’s at and excited to get to work with him.”
Simmons has played both safety and linebacker in his career, but Gannon has a “pretty clear vision” for how to use Simmons this season.
Simmons has never missed a game in his three-year career, playing all 50 games. He has totaled 258 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 11 quarterbacks hits, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and 16 passes defensed.
