Jan. 15, 2026, 10:30 p.m. MT
The Arizona Cardinals announced a player addition on Wednesday. They signed wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette to a contract for the 2026 season. He spent the entire 2025 season on the practice squad of the New York Giants.
From the Cardinals’ press release:
Smith-Marsette (6-1, 185) is a four-year NFL veteran who has played 48 games (one start) in his career with the Giants (2024), Panthers (2023), Chiefs (2022), Bears (2022) and Vikings (2021) after entering the league with Minnesota as a fifth-round selection (157th overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft from Iowa. He has 14 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns to go along with nine carries for 73 yards and a touchdown on offense. Smith-Marsette also has 66 punt returns for 550 yards and one touchdown and 16 kickoff returns for 481 yards and one touchdown on special teams. The 26-year old spent the entire 2025 season on the Giants practice squad after playing 15 games with New York in 2024.
He averaged 34.6 yards per kick return and had a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown in 2024 for the Giants. He also averaged 7.9 yards oer punt return. In 2023 with the Carolina Panthers, he led the league with 37 punt returns, averaging 8.7 yards per return with one return for a touchdown.
The Cardinals now have five players signed to futures contracts for 2026. NFL teams can sign unsigned players for 2026 through the “futures” reserve. The new league year will not begin until March, so these contracts do to take effect until then.
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