Isaiah Simmons Downplaying Cardinals Return

Former Arizona Cardinals defensive chess piece Isaiah Simmons will be wearing New York Giants blue at State Farm Stadium.

Isaiah Simmons arrived to the Arizona Cardinals looking to make a splash as a top-ten pick. 

Labeled as a "can't miss" prospect thanks to his versatility, length and speed, Simmons failed to make an impact during his time in the desert and was ultimately shipped to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick at the end of preseason play. 

Just weeks later, Simmons will be arriving to State Farm Stadium as an opponent for the first time ever. 

When asked if playing the Cardinals gave him any extra juice, Simmons downplayed any narratives of a "revenge game":

"No, not really. Like I was telling him, the main goal is just to win the game and beat whoever’s across from us and this week it just so happens to be Arizona. I’m not letting any external factors come in the way of what my responsibility is going to be out there on Sunday because ultimately, I feel like that’s going to do nothing but just limit my production and how I play out there. Like I said, not letting any external factors of like revenge or anything like that come in the way of the game."

It's unknown exactly who is at fault for Simmons ultimately failing in Arizona. The previous regime shuffled him through various positions during his stint with the Cardinals. 

It was a somewhat unexpected breakup between the two sides, though the new regime in Arizona have made it clear they'll part ways with anybody who doesn't fit their plans for the future. 

"I’m not an emotionless person so I’m sure there will be some emotions flowing through me but nothing that’s going to affect me and make me do anything crazy. I’m not a person to go out there and be like, ‘rah, rah, rah,’ so I’m not going to go out there doing that or try to make an extra play because then that’s when you end up hurting yourself in the long run," added Simmons, who also confirmed (with a laugh) he wouldn't pull a Terrell Owens and disrespect the logo at midfield.

Arizona is also doing their part in downplaying the matchup. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said he wasn't worried about Simmons revealing any defensive info to New York while Budda Baker remained neutral: 

"That's the little bro of course... He's not really a teammate of ours this week so of course it won't really be much of anything until after the game. Love him - at the end of the day he's a Giant and that's who we're going against." 

“Love ‘em…at the end of the day he’s a Giant and that’s who we’re going against.”

Budda Baker on facing ex-Cardinal teammate Isaiah Simmons on Sunday.#BirdGang pic.twitter.com/S2C0dV9LVx

— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) September 14, 2023

Simmons played just 15 snaps in New York's Week 1 loss vs. Dallas but should have a more prominent role moving forward.

The Cardinals are 4.5-point underdogs to the Giants on SI Sportsbook.