When the 2025 NFL preseason got underway a couple of weeks ago, Green Bay Packers fans had eyes on various position battles and players looking to make a strong impression to get on the 53-man roster.
One of the players who caught the intrigue of the Packers’ fanbase was veteran defender Isaiah Simmons, a former top-10 pick, who was signed at the end of April to a one-year deal.
Simmons had a lot of promise coming out of Clemson as this new-age hybrid safety with his skills and athleticism, but he’s struggled to live up to that. For Simmons to make the Packers, playing on special teams will be a key, along with what he can do on defense in the preseason.
Through the first two preseason games, the veteran defender didn’t look good, especially in pass coverage, as opposing QBs went right after him. They’ve completed 81.8 percent of their passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. In Jeff Hafley’s scheme, linebackers have to be able to hold their own in coverage.
Therefore, the pressure was on the veteran linebacker heading into the preseason finale to put something good on tape, and he showed up in a big way.
Isaiah Simmons Shines in Preseason Finale vs. Seattle Seahawks
The 27-year-old Simmons played the second-most snaps of any player on the Packers’ defense (41 snaps), and turned in a team-leading seven combined tackles. Simmons also played seven special teams snaps, where he got a chance to make a tackle on punt coverage.
The veteran defender also caught some attention for how he made a couple of plays against the run, which only bodes well for him with the roster cutdown deadline on the horizon.
Another stout play from Isaiah Simmons in run support. He doesn't look at all like the player that the Packers have seen these last two weeks.
— zach jacobson (@zacobson) August 23, 2025
Isaiah Simmons looks like a different player this week vs last week.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) August 23, 2025
If you’re a Green Bay fan, you couldn’t ask for a better performance from Simmons, who made plays in training camp but struggled to bring it to game action to start the preseason. Now, the Packers coaches have to decide if Simmons is worth keeping around, as he’s on a cheap one-year deal.
Again, the former first-round pick will not be asked to start, but his versatility and athleticism will give Hafley another option at linebacker.
Meanwhile, Simmons’ ability to play special teams, which he did over his last two years with the Giants, should give him the nudge over players on the roster bubble.