Arizona Cardinals give WR Andy Isabella permission to seek trade
Mar 2, 2022, 11:53 AM
Cardinals WR Andy Isabella (17) runs through drills while head coach Kliff Kingsbury (left) looks on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Tempe. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)
(Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)
The Arizona Cardinals have granted wide receiver Andy Isabella permission to find a trade, his agent told NFL insider Josina Anderson on Wednesday.
Anderson adds that Isabella’s agent, Bradley Blank, is planning to reach out to teams mid-March and “that it might be best for Andy to get a fresh start.”
The report comes following the team on Wednesday extending both head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim through the 2027 season.
Isabella is the last of three wide receivers (Hakeem Butler, KeeSean Johnson) taken by the Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft to help with quarterback and No. 1 pick Kyler Murray’s development.
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But since getting drafted in the second round, Isabella’s NFL career has left a lot to be desired.
Despite getting a seal of approval from head coach Kliff Kingsbury on draft night, Isabella caught just 30 of his 48 targets for 413 yards and three touchdowns over his first two seasons (28 games).
In an effort to get more out of Arizona’s pass catchers, the Cardinals fired wide receivers coach David Raih ahead of the season and hired Shawn Jefferson for the vacancy.
His production took a hard nosedive in 2021, however, catching just one reception for 13 yards and posting a career low in offensive snaps (5%) across eight matchups.
Isabella’s production took a hard nosedive in 2021, however. He caught just one reception for 13 yards and posted a career low in offensive snaps (5%) across eight matchups.
Instead, he watched as rookie Rondale Moore quickly integrated himself in Kingsbury’s offense, recording 54 catches (64 targets) for 435 yards and a touchdown. Moore also ran the rock 18 times for 76 yards.
With Isabella looking for a trade, that leaves Arizona with DeAndre Hopkins, Greg Dortch and Moore as the team’s only wide receivers under contract this coming season.
A.J. Green and Christian Kirk are both unrestricted free agents this offseason, while Antoine Wesley is an exclusive rights free agent.
