7 Players Cardinals Would Love to Get Back on Practice Squad

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals' initial 53-man roster is set after a series of incredibly tough decisions made by the organization.

The Cardinals, along with the rest of the NFL, chopped their rosters nearly in half from 90 to 53 on Sunday in advance of the regular season. It's one of the busiest times of the year, and perhaps one of the more crucial for teams as the waiver wire is in full force.

Once waivers clear, the Cardinals will have an opportunity to bring back a handful of recently cut players.

In alphabetical order, here's seven guys they'd love to have on the practice squad:

RB Evan Hull

Hull fell victim to a numbers game on the roster. Many thought he could be a sneaky surprise on the 53, especially after James Conner hit injured reserve. Hull really came on strong in Arizona's preseason finale in Green Bay, and Cardinals fans liked what they saw with him toting the rock in Mike LaFleur's scheme.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Murphy-Bunting was one of the bigger names released by the Cardinals this weekend, as his fate was practically sealed by the activation of Garrett Williams from PUP. That said, he's a veteran corner who can play on the inside and outside, which would give Arizona a strong practice squad option at the position.

ILB Owen Pappoe

Pappoe, pound-for-pound one of the fastest players on the team, simply fell out of favor with the Cardinals coaching staff for rookie Karson Sharar and his special teams ability. Pappoe's a fine backup but nothing more at this point in his career.

TE Tegan Quitoriano

The Cardinals look to use plenty of tight ends in 2026, which can almost guarantee that Arizona will carry one (if not two) players at the position on their practice squad. Quitoriano fits best as a blocking tight end, which the Cardinals will need if either Hunter Long or Tip Reiman go down with a serious injury.

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Once upon a time, Smith-Marsette was projected to make the Cardinals' roster early in training camp. However, the tide turned as Simi Fehoko and Jalen Brooks simply made more of their opportunities during preseason action. He's still a capable special-teamer with speed at the WR position.

CB Starling Thomas

Thomas' decline from his ACL injury ahead of the 2025 season has been unfortunate, though there's still some untapped potential. Once he makes a full recovery and has another year under his belt, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back on an active roster.

OL Oli Udoh

Udoh was one of many offensive linemen signed this offseason in hopes of bolstering the depth. However, a crop of young Cardinals stepped up and forced vets like Udoh out of the picture. Either he or Matt Pryor could land back on the practice squad as an experienced alternative if injuries go awry.

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