GLENDALE - The Arizona Cardinals are deep into their 2026 training camp, and while the usual standouts like Budda Baker and Trey McBride have done their part, one of the early surprises has been wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Smith-Marsette is about to turn 27 next month and is already on his sixth NFL team. The former Iowa receiver, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is listed by the Cardinals at 6-1 and 200 pounds. His path to Arizona has taken him from the Minnesota Vikings to the Chicago Bears, then to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won a Super Bowl, before stops with the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants.
He arrived in the desert this offseason on a future/reserve contract, and he’s trying to carve out a role in a crowded receiver room that includes Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne. That makes every rep matter, but Smith-Marsette has made his count.
His speed has stood out, both when he’s creating separation from defenders and when he’s tracking the ball on routes across the middle or down the sideline. The Cardinals don’t really have a pure burner in the mix right now, and Smith-Marsette’s acceleration gives him a chance to fill that kind of role. He may be one of the fastest receivers on the roster.
The bigger path to a roster spot, though, may come away from offense. Smith-Marsette’s special teams work could be what pushes him onto the 53-man roster or at least forces a real decision when cuts come. He has been part of the return group and can also handle gunner duties, and in his last two seasons played, he logged 34% of special teams snaps.
That kind of versatility matters when teams are sorting out the final pieces of the roster. Smith-Marsette is showing enough as a receiver, and enough on special teams, to make himself a real factor as the Cardinals move toward preseason cuts.
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