Inside linebacker experienced in-helmet communication last season

Zach Gershman

Cody Simonwants to be uncomfortable.

There will be a lot of that during his first week as a Cardinal. Simon is navigating his new life of being a professional while moving to a city he's never visited before.

The inside linebacker, however, enters the NFL with familiarity with the in-helmet communication. The NCAA approved a ruling in April of 2024 to allow coordinators to communicate with a player through the helmet.

"It was definitely a transition," Simon said. "I definitely learned a lot through helmet communication, and it just makes communicating even easier and faster. We've done it a lot at Ohio State and it's something I'm ready to do here now."

In his first season with the green dot (the sticker on the back of the helmet to represent the player with the mic), Simon led the Buckeyes defense to a National Championship victory, finishing the title game as the defensive MVP. Four months later, the Cardinals made him their fourth-round pick.

Jonathan Gannon is no stranger to the coach-to-player communication. During his time as a defensive coordinator, Gannon was the coach delivering the playcalls to his Mike linebacker.

"The adjustment period, if you have never done that, is real," Gannon said, adding former linebacker Kyzir White had no prior experience before taking the job for the Cardinals. "Does that give him an advantage? Maybe a touch.

"It's something that we'll look at and make sure they're functioning well and operating well, but that won't be the tough part for him."

The challenging part for Simon will be emerging in a room featuring Mack Wilson Sr., and free agency additions Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker. Wilson is likely out of contention for the green dot responsibilities since defensive coordinator Nick Rallis occasionally utilizes him in a hybrid role.

Simon has been in constant contact with new inside linebackers coach Cristian Garcia to speed up his learning process best he can.

"My job is to contribute as early as possible," Simon said. "I know the game is mental as much as physical now, so I need to be ready to help at all points. They drafted me to be able to contribute early and I know my job is to be able to go on that field and do my job."

It can be intimidating at times for a rookie to be the voice of a defensive unit. That can be uncomfortable, especially coming from a situation where Simon was a two-year starter and team captain for Ohio State.

But that's exactly how Simon would have drawn it up.

"If your younger guys aren't trying to push to be a leader, I think your younger guys maybe aren't trying to be the best version of themselves," Simon said. "I think that's what the NFL is about. When you have that pressure from behind and you're pushing the older guys up, I think that's great for your team and can only make the team better."