After eight positions last season, football finally slowing down for Arizona Cardinals’ Isaiah Simmons – Arizona Cardinals Blog

TEMPE, Ariz. — Heading into his third NFL season, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons is experiencing the phenomenon that usually comes after a player’s first season.

Football is finally slowing down for the former first-round pick.

It took an additional year for Simmons because of what’s been heaped on his plate: The need to learn multiple positions.

Simmons, taken No. 8 overall in the 2020 draft, lined up at eight different positions last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, from linebacker (324 snaps) to edge rusher (207) to outside linebacker (193) to slot corner (139). Add in his reps at inside defensive line, left corner, right corner and safety and there are few defensive positions Simmons didn’t play last season. With that many positions to learn, it’s no surprise it’s taken Simmons until his third season to get a better grasp of the game.

“Everything’s 100 percent slowed down a lot more,” Simmons said. “Way more comfortable this year, even than I was last year, and I just feel like the method that I’ve been going about has been beneficial to me mentally.”

Despite working at safety this offseason, Simmons said his main focus this year will be inside linebacker, where, alongside 2021 first-round pick Zaven Collins, he’ll be running the Cardinals’ defense.

Simmons, 23, believes he can “dominate” at inside linebacker with two years of experience and having learned various roles.

“Just being able to go everywhere has just gave me, conceptually, more knowledge of our defense, which has been able to help me a lot,” he said. “I mean, it’s a game of leverage, so knowing what your help is, is just, it’s been [great].”

Simmons has no plans of trying to limit himself. Playing one position isn’t “really me,” he said, even if it would have helped him be…