TAMPA, Fla. — Akeem Davis-Gaither tied his season high in tackles on Sunday, posting a combined 10 of them (four solo, six assisted). An exceptional performance, even though the Cardinals dropped their fourth in a row by a final score of 20–17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2025 is Gaither’s first season with Arizona, as he spent his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. After coming off a 2024 season where he recorded a season high 82 tackles, this forced him to test free agency and led to him signing with the Cardinals on a two-year deal worth $11 million.
On Sunday, Gaither added to what has been a not-too-shabby season, as he is well on pace to break his own personal record when it comes to tackles in a single season (he only needs one more).
Gaither has played in every game this season, and that cannot be said for his counterpart on the other side. The Cardinals had Mack Wilson Sr. starting alongside Gaither, but injuries have plagued the 27-year-old, as he is currently on injured reserve with a rib injury.
However, the absence of Wilson has paved the way for a young, up-and-coming star in the league. Cody Simon has appeared in nearly every game, but the injury to Wilson has accelerated his playing time. Selected in the fourth round (pick No. 115 overall) out of Ohio State, Simon has quietly made a name for himself on defense.
Despite the loss to the Buccaneers, Arizona may have something cooking at middle linebacker, even without Mack Wilson. After all, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Cody Simon have been doing enough to solidify two of the most important positions on the field.
We would not be surprised in the slightest if we see Simon making the permanent switch to the green dot (helmet microphone) and being the signal caller on defense. Head coach Jonathan Gannon should be very pleased with what he has cooking.