Blast from the Vikings Past Signs with Cardinals
In 2021, the Minnesota Vikings drafted wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette from Iowa, and like almost every wideout drafted by the purple team, fans had high hopes for the speedy playmaker. He didn’t last long, though, bouncing around the NFL in the last few seasons. Now, Smith-Marsette will spend at least some portion of the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals.
Smith-Marsette’s carousel keeps spinning and gives Arizona another return-capable receiver to evaluate this summer.
The Cardinals handed out futures contracts this week, and Smith-Marsette got the nod.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette’s NFL Carousel Adds Another Stop in Arizona
Smith-Marsette is back in the NFL news cycle after a quiet 2025.
Cardinals Sign Smith-Marsette
Because Smith-Marsette spent 2025 on the New York Giants‘ practice squad, he was eligible for a futures contract in Arizona before free agency formally begins in eight weeks.
Arizona Sports‘ Alex Weiner wrote Wednesday, “The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to terms with wide receiver and return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette on a future contract on Wednesday. Smith-Marsette, 26, has had a knack for the home run since his college days at Iowa.”
“He returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in 2024 with the New York Giants, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He returned a punt for a touchdown in 2023 for the Carolina Panthers and he won Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2018 after returning two kickoffs for touchdowns.”
Smith-Marsette will now stay attached to the Cardinals’ offseason roster and hopes to battle for a roster spot at training camp and in the preseason.
Weiner added, “The Cardinals as a team ranked 24th in yards per kick return and 11th in yards per punt return in 2025. Wide receiver Greg Dortch handled most of the returns until he went on injured reserve with a season-ending chest injury on Dec. 6.”
“Dortch is an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the last five years in Arizona. Teams have been able to sign free agents for the 2026 season as of Jan. 5, which does not include players under contract who will be free agents when the league new year begins on March 11.”
Arizona’s WRs under Contract in 2026
The Cardinals, like every NFL team, will have plenty of time to beef up their 2026 depth chart, including at the wide receiver spot, but entering the offseason, this is the group:
- Marvin Harrison
- Michael Wilson
- Jalen Brooks
- Andre Baccellia
- Xavier Weaver
- Tejhaun Palmer
- Bryson Green
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette
The team also has a riddle at quarterback. Kyler Murray succumbed to an injury midseason, prompting journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett to take over at QB1. NFL media speculated that Murray had been conveniently benched, and Arizona did little to dispel those allegations.
The Cardinals could realistically have a new quarterback this offseason, probably from the draft. It’s worth noting that Murray has even entered the Vikings’ rumor mill as a quarterback option.
Career Destination Resume
Smith-Marsette is only 26, but has been all over the place by a young wideout’s standards. Here’s his NFL bio to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2021)
- Chicago Bears (2022)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2022)
- Carolina Panthers (2023)
- New York Giants (2024–2025)
- Arizona Cardinals (2026–now)
He posted his most production after the Minnesota stint in 2023 with the Panthers, notching 8 receptions for 51 yards. The former Viking also has two return touchdowns to his name, a punt return paydirt in 2023 with Carolina, and a kick return score in 2024 with the Giants.
Time with the Vikings
In 2021, fans were talking themselves into Smith-Marsette. He flashed just enough as a rookie to earn breakout chatter, and many penciled him in as Minnesota’s presumptive WR4 heading into 2022.
That optimism lived almost entirely in the fan realm. A new Vikings regime at the time, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell, cut him before the 2022 campaign.
Smith-Marsette later unraveled in Chicago, where his stint with the Bears lasted barely seven weeks. Drops, penalties, fumbles, and repeated miscues piled up quickly, and the Bears cut bait in October 2022. The experiment ended almost as soon as it began.
A brief stop in Kansas City followed, where Smith-Marsette earned a Super Bowl ring while playing just 13 snaps. The Chiefs moved on after the season, allowing him to travel to Carolina for another audition.
Minnesota had drafted Smith-Marsette in the 5th round in 2021, but the new leadership group cleaned house in 2022. Nearly the entire class went with him — about 91% of those picks are now elsewhere or out of the league.
Smith-Marsette’s rookie stat line in Minnesota — 5 catches, 114 yards, 2 touchdowns — hinted at some momentum. But it was short-lived, as the Vikings preferred Jalen Reagor that season.
He’ll turn 27 in August.
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