Cardinals star Isaiah Simmons mourns death of teammate Jeff Gladney
Devastating news emerged on Monday afternoon that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney passed away from a car accident on Sunday evening. The incident occurred in Dallas, TX, just miles away from where Gladney played his college football at TCU.
After the news was released, Cardinals star defensive star and linebacker Isaiah Simmons took to Twitter to mourn the death of his teammate. The message was simple, as all Simmons hopes is that Gladney is able to rest easy and possibly even in paradise.
“Rest in paradise brotha,” Simmons said. He added a praying hands emoji as well.
After being cut by the Minnesota Vikings, Gladney was signed by the Arizona Cardinals and was expected to make an immediate contribution to the defense. Gladney did not make an appearance during the 2021 season due to off-the-field issues but would have an opportunity to make an NFL comeback.
Simmons and Gladney never got to share the field together but clearly had a bond during their short time as teammates. The two had plans to help the Cardinals make it even further in the playoffs after coming up short last season. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is one of the best in the game and having two young stars such as Gladney and Simmons would have been dangerous for the rest of the league.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney passes away
Another tragedy has struck the NFL world, as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney has passed away.
One of Gladney’s former TCU teammates, Kolby Listenbee, tweeted on Monday, revealing the news.
“RIP to my former teammate Jeff Gladney,” Listenbee tweeted.
Former TCU wideout and current Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jalen Reagor also tweeted the same update on Monday.
“Lost my Brother, my best friend, my right hand man… ain’t too much more I can take man damn,” Reagor said. “R.I.P Jeff Gladney, brother watch over me please.”
Gladney is a former first-round pick, as he was selected with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played in 16 games with 15 starts in Minnesota in 2020, totaling 81 tackles with seven tackles for loss, three passes defended, and one forced fumble. Gladney was waived by the Vikings in August of 2021, and he signed with the Cardinals in March of 2022. Gladney, who is just 25-years old, figured to play a role on the Cardinals’ defense this season.