The Arizona Cardinals have released wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette from their practice squad, according to the NFL’s official transaction wire.
The move is another chapter in a career defined by frequent roster changes and a search for a lasting role.
Smith-Marsette, 27, first entered the league when the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft out of Iowa.
After two seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings waived him following the preseason of his second year. The Chicago Bears claimed him off waivers, but that opportunity ended quickly when Chicago cut him.
He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.
Kansas City signed him to a futures contract in February 2023 before trading him to the Carolina Panthers. Smith-Marsette returned to Carolina on a one-year deal in 2024, only to be waived at the start of the regular season. The New York Giants signed him, and he appeared in 15 games that year.
His primary contribution came on special teams, where he returned 29 punts for 228 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per return, and handled 11 kickoffs for 381 yards and one touchdown.
He re-signed with the Giants for 2025 and landed on their practice squad after preseason cuts.
Later, he signed a futures contract with Arizona and remained on the Cardinals’ practice squad after being released following training camp. The latest transaction ends that stay.
Journeyman receivers and return specialists often cycle through practice squads as teams adjust depth and special-teams units during the season.
Smith-Marsette’s path through Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City, Carolina, New York, and now Arizona illustrates how quickly opportunities can appear and disappear.
At this stage of his career, his value has centered more on return work than consistent offensive snaps.
Whether another team claims him or he signs elsewhere is not yet known.
For now, the Cardinals have chosen to open a practice-squad spot, and Smith-Marsette once again finds himself looking for the next landing place in a league that rarely offers long-term security to players in his position.
