When the Green Bay Packers hit on Jordan Love, they found themselves with a massive opportunity. Passing the torch from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Love, the Packers have a chance to have three long-term legends at the quarterback position and a massive trump card as they look to add another Lombardi Trophy to their collection.
While Love may be the answer at quarterback for the next decade, it comes with some difficulties. After sitting three years on the Packers’ bench, Love jumped right into a four-year, $220 million contract extension that begins this season. The deal essentially voids the rookie quarterback window that many teams have used to reach the Super Bowl in recent years and forces general manager Brian Gutekunst to find talent in the margins.
The good news is that Gutekunst may already have a steal in this year’s free agent class and his talents have already caught the attention of his new teammates.
Josh Jacobs Calls New Packers LB Isaiah Simmons “A Unicorn”
New Packers linebacker Isaiah Simmons is a former top 10 pick looking to revive his career in Green Bay, but according to Josh Jacobs, he’s already fitting in. Jacobs raved about Simmons’s ability when talking to reporters earlier this week and dubbed Simmons “a unicorn” for his physical traits and what he can do for Jeff Hafley’s defense.
“First, he can run. …He’s kind of a unicorn at that position,” Jacobs said via USA Today. “...We can put him out on guys in the slot, and he can cover guys. Really man, I can’t wait to see him pads. I want to see how physical he is. Obviously, I’ve played against him a couple times, so I know what kind of player he is. But it’s different when you see it on a day-to-day basis.”
Simmons has long been known to be an athletic specimen. His coverage ability and physicality helped him become a hybrid between linebacker and safety during his collegiate career at Clemson and he became a two-time National Champion and an All-American linebacker as part of the Tigers’ defense.
But his versatility and 9.97 relative athletic score haven’t translated to the NFL. Simmons was the eighth overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020 NFL Draft, but had just 376 snaps as a rookie. While he became the starting inside linebacker for Cardinals, he posted a 49.7 overall grade and 56.0 coverage grade in 1,024 snaps. He played better with a 67.9 overall grade, but the Cardinals declined his fifth-year contract option and traded him to the New York Giants before the 2023 campaign.
Simmons didn’t see the field much during the past two seasons in New York and was more known for his work on special teams, where he recorded grades of 75.4 in 2023 and 90.0 last season. But the Packers believe the key to unlocking the 26-year-old’s potential is having him focus solely on linebacker.
“We’re excited about getting him,” Hafley said during the Packers’ OTA workouts in May “I loved him coming out of school; I think a lot of us did. He’s a big, fast, physical guy that can run, and he’s made plays before, so we’re hoping to put him in position to help him help us.”
Simmons enters camp third on the weakside linebacker depth chart behind Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie, but he can earn a roster spot with a strong performance in camp. While it’s only the first week, Simmons has laid the groundwork for that to happen and potentially give Green Bay a steal in this year’s free-agent class.