TEMPE — Andy Isabella’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals came to a close on Tuesday with his official release from the franchise.
It was an unceremonious end for the 2019 second-round pick, who looks for a new home after recording just 33 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns as a Cardinal.
But even though the writing was in the sand that Isabella’s time in the desert was running out — especially with other wide receivers returning from injuries and a suspension and just 14 offensive snaps through four games — it didn’t make things easier for head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
“Yeah it’s terrible, I hate that,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “He comes in (Tuesday), just a tough conversation, because you love him and what he’s about and how hard he’s worked and you know in the right situation it could’ve been different and I think it will be for him.
“But even on his way out — this is the type of guy he is — he tells me, ‘Hey, prove them wrong, Coach.’ He’s still thinking about others and encouraging me. I think the world of him and hopefully he lands in a good spot.”
Clearing waivers on Wednesday and reportedly signing on with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, Isabella’s NFL future remains up in the air as he tries to latch onto a new team.
He marks the third wide receiver from Arizona’s 2019 draft class no longer on the team, joining Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. Butler’s been out of the league since 2020, while Johnson was waived by the Atlanta Falcons in August.
Kingsbury, however, remains confident Isabella will land somewhere. It all comes down to fit.
“A lot of that’s situational,” Kingsbury said. “I think Andy, we brought him in and he’s really behind Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald where we wanted to play him. He didn’t probably get the time on the task that could have really helped him. And then we bring in DeAndre Hopkins, so you have those three guys and then it’s just hard to get on the field.
“But he can definitely play in this league, he’ll find a place. … Every position is hard to evaluate, I think receiver in particular. You got to find a place that’s able to maximize your skillset and where you kind of fit in.”
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