The Arizona Cardinals have traded Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants, moving on from the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft after three seasons.
The deal was announced on Thursday, less than a week after Simmons had a disappointing preseason performance in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Giants are sending a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft to the Cardinals.
The move is pending Simmons passing a physical.
The 25-year-old Simmons was seen as a can’t-miss defensive prospect in the 2020 draft after a stellar college career at Clemson. But the 6-foot-4, 238-pounder never quite found a role with the Cardinals and was attempting to move to safety from linebacker this preseason.
Simmons has been stayed active on stat sheets, with 105 tackles in 2021 and 99 tackles last season, but he’s also had a tendency for big mistakes that frustrated previous coach Kliff Kingsbury.
The Cardinals’ new regime — led by coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort — decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on Simmons’ contract during the offseason. A few months later, they parted ways with him completely.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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