Isaiah Simmons is a sneaky versatile NFL defender. So much so, his professional career has actually been affected negatively as a result. The 26-year-old was listed as a safety while playing for the New York Giants but according to him, he was expected to play just about everywhere on that side of the ball.
Now that he's a member of the Green Bay Packers, he feels defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley knows how to properly use him and that'll result in him thriving on the field.
Isaiah Simmons speaks with Green Bay media for the first time. Here he discusses why Jeff Hafley is a good fit for him. Simmons said his time with the Giants “lit a fire” under him, in part because of his lack of snaps. Former No. 8 overall pick eager for a fresh start in GB. pic.twitter.com/hAfHjggdaQ
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 12, 2025
“My versatility, I feel like it’s a little bit of a gift and a curse. What I ran into most of my career is everybody wants me to do everything, as opposed to letting me get really good at one thing first," Simmons described at Packers summer training camp. "I fully believe in Haf’s plan. He’s letting me just lock in and learn a small portion first before we even think about expanding to anything else. That’s something I really appreciate because I never really had that opportunity to really just hone in on one position. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL, let alone stay, as well as be effective at a position, so just being able to lock in on one thing … that’s been, I feel like, huge for me."
Isaiah Simmons says Giants lit a fire under him to succeed with Packers
Simmons pointed to his time in New York as a major motivator to prove he's still worth the first-round pick (No. 10 overall) used on him during the 2020 NFL Draft. Being expected to play multiple positions well while neglecting to coach him up properly on his best strengths was a deal breaker.
“There’s games where maybe I (had), like, three snaps, and they (would) be, like, kickoff, all touchbacks, you know what I’m saying?” he explained. “When the season ended, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘This will never happen again.’ At the end of the day, coaches make the decisions, but it’s up to me to make the decision hard for them. I vowed to myself that I would make the decision tough for every single coach in the future.”
“They lit a fire under me, I’m ready to go," Simmons said defiantly.
His 2023 season was more fruitful than his 2024 in New York. Of course, he credits that to his usage and the numbers seem to reflect that.
Simmons played 166 snaps in the box, 137 on the defensive line, 65 at slot corner, eight at outside corner and two at free safety in 2023 with the Giants. After hitting the field for roughly a third of defensive snaps that year, he played just 17 percent in 2024. He took snaps at each of those same spots except outside corner then.
Packers fans should take Simmons' motivation as a good sign, though there's no guarantee he's still on the roster, let alone starting, come Week 1. But if he is, opposing offenses could be in for a rude awakening if he somehow has a breakout year.