The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted a pair of linebackers for tryouts on Wednesday. Per the NFL’s transactions sheet, the Steelers worked out LB Michael Barrett and Isaiah Simmons. The latter is a notable name, a former first-round pick with more than 40 career starts.
As of this writing, neither player has been signed. Instead, the team added Jacoby Windmon to its practice squad. He’ll replace Jon Rhattigan, who was poached by the Las Vegas Raiders yesterday. With a full practice squad, no other additions appear to be imminent.
A hyper-athletic defensive chess piece out of Clemson, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Simmons 8th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Since then, he’s struggled to find a consistent home and fit. Like many athletes missing a defined position, the Cardinals attempted to play him all over the field. But he struggled to develop and reach his potential. In Arizona, he played in the box, at free safety, over slot, and on the defensive line.
In three seasons, Simmons made splash plays but failed to find consistency. He appeared in 50 games, 37 of them starts, and notched 258 tackles (13 for a loss) with 7.5 sacks and four interceptions. Arizona traded him to the New York Giants ahead of the 2023 season for a seventh-round pick. He played the 2023 and 2024 seasons there, mostly coming off the bench to record 71 tackles and one interception.
Signed by the Green Bay Packers this April, he failed to make the final roster and was cut in late August.
Pittsburgh’s interest in Simmons dates back to the 2020 draft. One of the few Pro Days the team attended before the pandemic, Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert went to see Simmons and others during the Tigers’ workout. At the NFL Combine, Simmons starred with a 4.39 40-yard dash at nearly 6’4 and 239 pounds. His vert (39) and broad (11’0″) also impressed.
Barrett comes with less fanfare. A 2024 seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers out of Michigan, he’s yet to appear in a regular-season game. He’s bounced around the league plenty already, spending time with the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and, most recently, with the Las Vegas Raiders. Like Simmons, Mike Tomlin attended Barrett’s 2024 Pro Day.
In college, Barrett recorded 208 career tackles and two interceptions. At his Pro Day, he turned in a 4.72 40-yard dash at 5113, 233 pounds.
