Green Bay Packers Cut LB After Lackluster Preseason
Well, that didn’t take long. The Green Bay Packers have reportedly decided to part ways with linebacker Isaiah Simmons, cutting the former eighth overall pick as they trim their roster down to 53 players. And honestly? You could see this coming from a mile away, like watching a slow-motion train wreck unfold over three preseason games.
When the Green Bay Packers signed Simmons back in April, there was genuine excitement bubbling through Titletown. Here was a guy with freakish athleticism – 6’4″, runs like a gazelle, and theoretically the kind of player who could terrorize opposing offenses in Jeff Hafley’s new defensive scheme. The plan seemed foolproof: anchor him at linebacker, let him use those Clemson instincts, and watch the magic happen.
The Dream vs. The Nightmare
But sometimes football has a cruel sense of humor. What looked like a match made in heaven on paper turned into a three-week audition that nobody wanted to watch. Simmons played a team-high 129 defensive snaps during the preseason, which should tell you something right there – when a guy trying to make the team is getting that much run, it’s either really good or really, really bad.
Spoiler alert: it was really, really bad.
The numbers don’t lie, and they weren’t kind to Simmons. Four missed tackles. Struggles in coverage that made fans reach for the remote. And perhaps most damning of all, Pro Football Focus ranked him 154th out of 157 linebackers who played at least 30 defensive snaps in the preseason. That’s not just bad – that’s “maybe I should consider a career in coaching” bad.
Why the Green Bay Packers Gamble Failed
The heartbreaking part? Simmons knew he was struggling. In interviews last week, he was refreshingly honest about his performance, admitting he’d been “thinking too much instead of just being myself.” It’s the kind of self-awareness that makes you root for a guy, even when the results aren’t there.
“I don’t think it’s been up to my standard,” Simmons said, and you could practically hear the frustration in his voice. “I just feel like I’ve been thinking too much instead of just being myself. Trying to play too perfect, as opposed to just playing.”
That’s the cruel irony of professional sports sometimes. The harder you try, the worse it gets. Simmons was so focused on not making mistakes that he forgot how to make plays. It’s like watching a great shooter go cold from three-point range – the mechanics are there, but the confidence has packed its bags and left town.
The Numbers Game Hits Different
For a guy who came into training camp brimming with confidence, talking about how the “sky’s the limit,” reality hit like a linebacker blitzing off the edge. And the financial reality stings too – that $167,500 signing bonus? That’s now dead money on the Packers’ cap, a expensive reminder that not every reclamation project works out.
The Green Bay Packers tried everything they could think of. They had special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia use Simmons as a gunner on punt coverage, hoping his speed and size would translate into impact plays. Defensive coordinator Hafley kept giving him chances, rotating him with the first-team defense when Quay Walker was out with ankle surgery.
But once Walker returned and the Packers settled on their top three linebackers – Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie – the writing was on the frozen tundra. Simmons’ strong performance in the preseason finale against Seattle was like scoring a touchdown when you’re already down by 28 – nice to see, but too little, too late.
What This Means for the Green Bay Packers Moving Forward
The silver lining in all this? Kristian Welch, the Wisconsin native who’s been quietly solid for years, likely just punched his ticket to the 53-man roster. Sometimes the flashy moves don’t work out, and you have to lean on the reliable veterans who know their role and execute it consistently.
Welch might not have Simmons’ measurables, but he’s proven he can contribute on special teams and won’t leave you pulling your hair out on defense. In a league where depth matters more than ever, having players you can trust to not hurt you is worth its weight in cheese curds.
The Bigger Picture for Former First-Round Picks
Simmons’ story is becoming all too familiar in today’s NFL. High draft picks who show flashes but never quite put it all together, bouncing from team to team hoping to find that perfect fit. From Arizona to New York to Green Bay, it’s been a journey of almosts and what-ifs for a player who was supposed to be a game-changer.
The cruel truth is that sometimes talent isn’t enough. Sometimes the game is just too fast, or the mental side proves more challenging than anyone anticipated. Simmons will likely get picked up somewhere – teams are always willing to take a flyer on athletic linebackers – but his window for being a significant contributor is closing fast.
For the Green Bay Packers, this is just another reminder that building a roster is about more than collecting talent. It’s about finding players who fit your system, embrace their role, and can perform when the lights are brightest. Sometimes the best ability really is availability, and right now, Simmons just couldn’t provide the consistency the Green Bay Packers needed.
As cut-down day continues, this won’t be the last tough decision the Packers make. But it might be one of the most telling about how this organization values proven production over pure potential.
