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Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons Isn't a Lost Cause

Everybody seems to want to write off Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons, but that's the furthest from a great idea.

TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals may be back in Tempe preparing for the Los Angeles Rams, but this story starts back just a few days ago in Las Vegas. 

We'll set the scene: The Cardinals had just completed a massive comeback to etch their first win of the 2022 season in dramatic 29-23 fashion in an overtime win over the Raiders. 

Plenty of storylines emerged from that game, whether it be Kyler Murray's ability to put the team on his back or Arizona's ability to contain receiver Davante Adams to two catches for 12 yards and one touchdown. 

Perhaps an storyline that got lost in the midst of chaos and celebrations: Where in the world was Isaiah Simmons? 

Simmons, drafted in 2020 to be a game-changing chess piece for the Cardinals, played a mere 15 snaps (22% of all defensive plays) in the road victory. Linebackers Zaven Collins (67), Nick Vigil (26) and Tanner Vallejo (20) played more.

The week prior, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce got the best of him on numerous occasions. The film was bad, but the national perception of Simmons following one week of football outmatched it. 

Simmons, a Butkus Award winner and national champion at Clemson, boasts an athletic profile to play anywhere across the defense and be impactful. That's why the Cardinals nearly sprinted to the podium the moment he was available at pick No. 8 in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

The oddest part? Simmons made the game-saving play, knocking the ball loose from Hunter Renfrow which spurred a fumble return for a touchdown. 

The cape didn't rest on his shoulders for very long after the game. 

"It's always a little challenging mentally, especially just as a competitor," said Simmons on the low number of his snaps. 

"You want to be out there helping your guys especially [when] that's what you're used to. Just a little hurdle in the way, this is something that mentally I had to get over and keep my head in the game for an opportunity like that. Knowing that it could come anytime, injuries can happen any play. So just knowing that my time will come, being patient and just staying in the game and just staying mentally locked in, when you think about things like that, the eight plays, you can get past that knowing that it's not the end of the world. 

"It's not the end of the season. We got a long season. It's just one game. So we're going to take it week by week and see how next week goes, but very excited to get this win with my guys, especially on the road because winning on the road is very special."

On Thursday, we were able to speak with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to get some more clarity on what happened with Simmons and what his future role may look like.

It's safe to say the Cardinals aren't giving up on him quite yet despite the recent lack of playing time:

"It was strictly game plan. Again, my biggest challenge is to get the right people out there versus the right people. That's gonna be our challenge each week, but he played his butt off," said Joseph on Thursday. 

"He had a great week of practice after the Chiefs game. He was intentional in practice, he had great meetings, and he played his butt off. Outside of the two plays he made at the end, he played really well in that game. You know, [Darren] Waller's a big time target. He held him down on third downs for us. But the two plays he made at the end of the game, no one can make them on our team but him. 

"He came out of the A gap to make a tackle on Renfrow, [that's a] 35-yard sprint. The second time, the same play he made knocks the ball out. I told him this, I said listen: It's not about how many plays you play. It's about how you play when you play. You can play 40 snaps and play 30 dominant snaps, that helps us win. 

"So week-to-week it's going to be packages to help us play great defense until we get our guys back. It's so tough right now to kind of, each week, figure out who's playing where versus their people until we get Ham [Antonio Hamilton] back and those guys going, and get Trayvon [Mullen] going a little bit. So right now that's my biggest challenge weekly."

Heading into the season, Simmons was bestowed with the green dot on his helmet. That dot signifies he is receiving radio communication from Joseph, and is responsible for relaying play-calls and other information to the other ten players on the field.

Fellow inside linebacker Zaven Collins, drafted in the first round one season after Simmons, took over those duties in Las Vegas.

Joseph says it wasn't intentional, but it did help him. 

"That was more of a package, but I think that calmed him down a little bit. Obviously calling defenses guys is tough, because now you have to call it, explain it and now do your job. I don't think it hurt him not having it because he can play calm and do his job first, then help others. He played good. So hopefully it happens again this week," said Joseph.

"I think Zaven's role is always clear because he's an inside backer. Isaiah's a hybrid, he plays some safety, nickle, he plays dime for us. So it's always going to be week to week with Isaiah [and] where he plays. That's why he was drafted. That's his position. That's his body type. And that's the challenge for us each week, where to put him so he can make plays to help us win. Last week it was it was a good deal for him and us."

Plenty of outsiders have questioned what Simmons' role with the team will be moving forward. Joseph made it clear the Cardinals simply want to put him in the best place to succeed. 

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury echoed that sentiment. 

"We're gonna do whatever is best for the team.," said Kingsbury. 

"We were all excited about how he played and the progress [he's shown], he made one of the biggest plays of the game if not the biggest and felt like that was attributed to the great week of practice he had and he had another good day today so we're gonna keep him moving. We see what the ceiling can be. We want to get him there."

Simmons has been thrown into the fire since day one in Arizona, as his athletic prowess has often led him to do a handful of tasks that ordinary players wouldn't handle. 

Yet that's the thing about Simmons: He isn't ordinary. 

The Cardinals are well aware of what they have on their hands. We in the media know it, fans know it. Simmons knows it, too. 

It will be interesting to monitor his usage moving forward, and in a league where you're deemed a bust if you don't show immediate signs of success, results need to come quick and often. 

Time isn't afforded to everyone. Sometimes players explode from the jump and establish themselves early, while other times experience (good or bad) is a necessary evil. 

Simmons' story is still being built, and like he alluded to in his postgame words, this is just another hurdle on the road to success. 

The Cardinals aren't giving up on Simmons, and he isn't giving up on himself. 

You shouldn't give up on him, either. 

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