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The Green Bay Packers entered the 2025 preseason looking for answers at linebacker, but Isaiah Simmons’ debut against the New York Jets left more questions than clarity. The 2019 Butkus Award winner with the Clemson Tigers, signed on a one-year deal this offseason, played extensively in the opener and raised concerns about his fit in the Packers defense.
Packers on Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber highlighted the performance, noting that Simmons ranked near the bottom among linebackers in preseason grading.
“In this year’s preseason, 153 linebackers have played at least 10 snaps on defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons’ grade for his performance against the Jets on Saturday ranks 148th.”
The Packers linebacker depth chart is competitive, with Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Edgerrin Cooper, and Ty’Ron Hopper all in the mix. Simmons played 39 defensive snaps — third-most on the unit — and finished with four tackles but also allowed 76 receiving yards in coverage, including a touchdown on a screen.
Despite the rough night, head coach Matt LaFleur told Huber that the evaluation process is ongoing.
“He’s got to go out there and do it within our defense for us to feel confident to put him out there and be a key contributor to our defense,” LaFleur said following the game. “I thought he got some good work in yesterday.”
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley echoed that sentiment, pointing out Simmons’ position transition in the Packers preseason 2025 campaign.
“He’s had a good camp,” Hafley said. “We had him on the outside a little bit (and) we had him inside in the box a little bit last night. A lot of stuff he’s doing for the first time. I thought he did some good things and there’s some things he needs to correct, which is what the preseason is for and what camp is for.”
For the sixth-year linebacker and 2018 College Football Playoff National Champion, the challenge is turning elite athletic traits into steady production. At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds with 4.39 speed, he’s spent most of his NFL career in hybrid roles with the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. Now, the Packers defense is tasking him with a full-time inside linebacker assignment for the first time since his Clemson days.
The coming weeks will be critical. The Packers face the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks in their next two preseason games before final roster cuts on August 27th. For Simmons, improvement in run fits, tackling, and coverage discipline will determine whether he’s a rotational contributor, special teams piece, or on the roster bubble entirely.
