Team declines to pick up Simmons’ option
With a league deadline approaching, the Cardinals decided to take it down to the wire regarding linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
Tuesday at 1 p.m. (Arizona time) is the last day for NFL teams to either pick up or decline the fifth-year option of their 2020 first-round draft picks. Picking up the option year keeps the player under contract through the 2024 season. Declining it makes the player become an unrestricted free agent after this year.
“We’ve got to work through that,” General Manager Monti Ossenfort said after the conclusion of the draft on Saturday. “Were going to catch our breath here a little bit … but we’ll get to that.”
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, they did. The decision was made to not pick up Simmons’ fifth year. Like Haason Reddick before him, Simmons will spend this coming season playing on the final year of his rookie contract and then can sign with any team he wants in 2024. He will earn $1 million in base salary this year with an additional roster bonus of $2.4 million.
Had the Cardinals picked up his fifthyear option, Simmons’ salary would have jumped to $12.7 million in 2024.
Simmons’ situation is a lot like Reddick’s was in Arizona in that he has been used in multiple roles and has never stuck at one specific position. Reddick thrived in his final season with the Cardinals in 2020 when he was moved to edge rusher and finished with 121⁄2 sacks.
That helped him earn top-dollar contracts with both the Panthers and Eagles.
Simmons, the eighth overall pick in 2020 out of Clemson, played mostly at inside linebacker during his rookie year, although he moved around quite a bit. He’s played more as a box safety/slot defender as of late and new coach Jonathan Gannon hasn’t said with any clarity where Simmons will line up in 2023.
“I look forward to figuring that out with him and the coaches,” Gannon said at the scouting combine. “It’s not going to be, ‘Hey, you’re stuck in this box. This is what you’re doing.’ We’ve got to see what he can handle physically and mentally and know that he’s a unique skill set guy and we will use him accordingly.”
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Simmons, 24, finished fourth on the team in total tackles last season with 99. He also had four sacks, seven passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 50 career games overall, he has 258 tackles, 13 for loss, along with 16 passes defensed, 71⁄2 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Hopkins gives hint to future?
One of the most eyebrow-raising statements of the past week’s NFL draft was Ossenfort saying a trade of star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins wasn’t likely to happen through the course of the three-day draft.
It didn’t, Hopkins is still a Cardinal and on Monday was working out in the Phoenix area. In fact, Hopkins doesn’t sound like he is looking to leave the Cardinals.
“I see everybody telling me to stay. Who said I wanted to go? Who said I wanted to leave?” Hopkins asked in a video on his Instagram account. “I’m out here working, baby.”
This could be a positive development for the Cardinals, of course, who reportedly allowed Hopkins to seek a trade toward the end of March and were said to be shopping Hopkins for a secondround draft pick and more.
Ossenfort didn’t get the offer for Hopkins he sought and was content to hang onto him. And while keeping Hopkins on the payroll is costly, he’s still producing at a high level and brings off-thefield intangibles that can help a roster with high turnover.
Hopkins made some comments that seemed to indicate an interest in the Buffalo Bills that were shared on social media, but trade speculation never really heated up. The draft came and went, and Hopkins remains a Cardinal, due to make $19.45 million this upcoming season and $14.915 million in 2024 although neither salary is guaranteed.
It’s likely Hopkins would like to play for a team that can contend for the Super Bowl, but he hasn’t aggressively campaigned publicly to get the Cardinals to trade him.
Cardinals rookie free-agent signings
Cardinals announced the signings of 10 undrafted rookie free agents on Monday, including former Arizona State linebacker Kyle Soelle, a three-year captain who led the Sun Devils in tackles in each of the past two seasons.
In addition to Soelle, who attended Scottsdale Saguaro High School, the Cardinals signed wide receiver Daniel Arias (Colorado), safety Kendell Brooks (Michigan State), running back Emari Demercado (TCU), long snapper Matt Hembrough (Oklahoma State), tight end Joel Honigford (Michigan), linebacker Marvin Pierre (Kent State), defensive lineman Jacob Slade (Michigan State), cornerback Quavian White (Georgia Tech) and tight end Blake Whiteheart (Wake Forest).