After a quiet rookie season, Arizona Cardinals receiver Andy Isabella is making noise in the team’s wide receiver room.
The second-year pro’s last two performances are a harbinger of what may be to come in 2020 and beyond. In Weeks Two and Three, Isabella caught 6 of 7 targets for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns, coming off a career-best in Week Three when he logged 4 catches on all 4 of his targets for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.
No, Isabella isn’t putting up DeAndre Hopkins-like numbers and he’s not a complete receiver in the Hopkins mold. However, the speed demon from the University of Massachusetts continues to mold himself into a deep threat. Proving he’s more than just a specialist in the return game.
But we shouldn’t really be all too surprised regarding Isabella’s performance when given a chance early in the 2020 season. Despite seeing limited playing time in 2019, Isabella made the most of his opportunities with 9 receptions on 13 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. Good for 21.0 yards per catch.
When you figure opposing defensive units will eventually key on Hopkins and with Larry Fitzgerald‘s role as a possession receiver at this stage in his career, Isabella’s role as a deep threat fits the offense perfectly.
If wide receiver Christian Kirk can put his injury problems behind him and if tight end Dan Arnold continues to develop as he’s done since late-2019, Isabella adds a new dimension to an offense that already boasts a king’s ransom of power in the Cardinals air raid. Expect Isabella to see a greater number of targets in the future, giving quarterback Kyler Murray another hot option to work with and to take pressure from Hopkins.
While we won’t crown 2020 as a breakout season yet, feel free to exercise cautious optimism regarding the latest exciting puzzle piece on the Cardinals offense. If there’s one true certainty, it’s that Isabella will be a lot of fun to watch going forward. Be excited, Cardinals fans.