The Green Bay Packers are through two weeks of preseason football, and players are fighting to secure a spot on the roster.
The Packers made a flurry of moves this offseason, but not every one of them is going to pan out. And it already looks like LB Isaiah Simmons will have a lot of trouble locking down a spot on the final roster. He inked a one-year, $1.337 million deal, which is a low-risk deal for Green Bay, but he could be playing his way out of town.
Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire pointed out that Simmons has played a team-high 88 defensive snaps through two games. In those reps, he has given up 10 catches, missing three tackles, including one on special teams.
Isaiah Simmons has played a team-high 88 defensive snaps through two preseason games. He's given up 10 catches and missed three tackles. Also has zero stops, or a tackle creating a failure for the offense. Missed a tackle on special teams. Is he going to make the team?
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) August 17, 2025
Packers LB Isaiah Simmons on Roster Bubble
Simmons said in July that he's focused on playing just linebacker in Green Bay after moving all over the field with the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. He felt that he was appreciated the most with Green Bay, but the results on the field haven't been productive.
Through these two preseason games, he has 14 total tackles, but has constantly looked lost and confused in coverage.
Simmons was the 8th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft and was one of the most athletic players in that class. It was believed he could be a Swiss Army Knife on the second level, but it's clear his IQ and awareness aren't up to par.
The fact that he's seeing this many snaps in the preseason also shows how the coaching staff looks at him. They know he has work to do and want to see how he produces. Considering that the Clemson product is struggling against second and third teamers is a step in the wrong direction.
Green Bay has Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie as the starting LBs. Guys like Kristian Welch, Jamon Johnson, Ty'Ron Hopper, and Jared Bartlett are competing to stick on as backups, which only adds more pressure to Simmons' plate.
The Packers have just one preseason game left on the docket, with a contest on Aug. 23 against the Seattle Seahawks. It looks like Simmons will need a great week of practice and a monster performance to land on the final roster. If not, he will likely get cut in a few weeks and be right back on the free agent market.