Jalen Brooks' Preseason Breakout is Forcing Tough Cardinals WR Decision

ARIZONA — Every summer, without fail, there's always a breakout training camp star that emerges for each team.

A player who was previously overlooked but, when given the opportunity, has made the most of their time and forces some seriously tough conversations for teams to have when trimming down their roster to 53 players.

For the Arizona Cardinals, there's been a handful of said players — though none have generated more buzz within the fan base than wide receiver Jalen Brooks.

This isn't Brooks' first rodeo, as he first entered the league as a seventh-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. Brooks spent two seasons in Dallas before being waived last year, allowing the Cardinals to sign him to their practice squad. He ultimately played in five games for Arizona in 2025.

Yet this is his first training camp with the Cardinals, and while he's already donned a uniform with "Arizona" across his chest, it's a clean slate for Brooks to potentially make the team's active roster as opposed to relegation to the practice squad.

So far, so good.

Brooks has emerged in Cardinals camp as a breakout player, a talent that won't be usurping any of Arizona's top wideouts but could very well land as a sixth receiver if the organization opts to keep that many.

"I have expectations for myself. I wouldn't say like pressure, some would say pressure is a privilege. It's just been very nice — the amount of targets that I get," Brooks told reporters today.

"It just feels more rewarding than more pressure because I know I've worked my tail off to put myself in this position and I just know throughout the years that I've always been wanting to be in this position."

Brooks has been Arizona's top receiver in preseason play, hauling in 9 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown through two games.

Brooks, who has special teams value, is making a strong case to round out the Cardinals' roster of pass catchers. With such a deep and talented room, it appears Arizona will see talent slip through the cracks.

It's always a numbers game at this point in the season, though Brooks says he's keeping his head down as cut down day draws closer.

"No, I don't really start to count numbers. Obviously last year we had a pretty stacked room in Dallas. It was just like more [like] shoot, I'm just gonna go out there and ball out," he said.

"But I have the utmost confidence, and I told this to the receivers when it was my time to talk to them. Like, I have the confidence I could go in any room in the NFL and I will earn a spot there. I feel like this game is 80% confidence, man. As long as you have the right mindset, I feel like the sky could be the limit for you."

Brooks, 6-2 and 205 lbs, has the build to be an NFL receiver. He also has the speed to make plays down the field, something none of the Cardinals' top wideouts are quite known for.

"Just being able to be versatile. Line up in the slot, line up outside, line up in a boundary, and then just being able to stretch the field. Just trying to instill that confidence that they have faith in me, and I have nothing but respect for the way that they try and give me the ball and everything," Brooks continued.

"So it's really just building that confidence. I know essentially that it will come down to what it's really about: who they have the most confidence [in] and the most trust."

Plenty of Cardinals fans are hoping the team will keep Brooks. If he keeps playing at a high level, Arizona may have no other choice.

Add us as a preferred source on Google