Cardinals Predicted to Not Exercise Isaiah Simmons' Fifth-Year Option

The Arizona Cardinals must decide by May 1 if they'll be picking up the fifth-year option of Isaiah Simmons. Pro Football Focus doesn't expect them to.

PHOENIX -- The NFL Annual Meeting is all wrapped up here in Phoenix, and after nearly 30 minutes with Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, we received updates on a few different issues sorting through the offseason.

One of which was the status of Isaiah Simmons, a defensive chess piece that many are interested to see where new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis places him. 

Simmons - part of the 2020 NFL Draft class - is eligible for a fifth-year option on his contract that Arizona can pick up, which would keep him on the roster through 2024. Declining it would send him to free agency after next season. 

"Even though we might have a vision for him, he might say, 'I can do this, this and this' let's make sure he's comfortable with what we're asking him to do mentally and physically," Gannon told reporters.

"So that'll take a little bit of feeling out from both sides. But we've got time before we line up week one in September, so I'm not going to rush that. We're not going to rush that. But [we have had] really good communication with Isaiah. He got good news about his health. So he's gonna be here and excited, ready to go."

We're quickly approaching the May 1 deadline, and the Cardinals will only have a few days worth of OTA's to see Simmons in his new role before then.

Will Arizona exercise that option? Pro Football Focus doesn't believe so. 

"After being shuffled around a bit on defense, Simmons appears to have found a home as a box safety/slot player in Arizona, earning a career-best 67.9 grade in 2022 and showing the type of athleticism that made him a top-10 pick, including an acrobatic pick-six against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football," said Brad Spielberger.

"However, new head coach Jonathan Gannon could shake things up even more upon his arrival.

"Arizona has a lot invested in safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson already, plus they used a first-round pick the following year on linebacker Zaven Collins, so perhaps the team would be better served investing resources elsewhere on a roster that needs a ton of help."

Simmons was one of three top-ten picks (Detroit's Jeff Okudah and Carolina's C.J. Henderson being the others) that weren't projected to have their options picked up. 

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