Cutdown day has come, and the Arizona Cardinals have narrowed down their roster to 53 with the league's 6:00 PM ET deadline having passed. While some difficult cuts were made, these are the 53 players Arizona has elected to initially keep heading into the 2026 season:
Arizona Cardinals initial 53-man roster for 2026 season
- QB (3): Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck
- RB (3): Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, Bam Knight
- WR (7): Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Kendrick Bourne, Devin Duvernay, Reggie Virgil, Simi Fehoko, Jalen Brooks
- TE (3): Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins, Hunter Long
- OL (9): Paris Johnson Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Hjalte Froholdt, Isaiah Adams, Elijah Wilkinson, Jon Gaines, Josh Fryar, Jayden Williams, Hayden Conner
- DL (6): Walter Nolen III, Darius Robinson, Roy Lopez, Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, Dante Stills
- OLB (5): Josh Sweat, Baron Browning, Zaven Collins, Jordan Burch, Eku Leota
- ILB (4): Mack Wilson Sr., Cody Simon, Jack Gibbens, Karson Sharar
- CB (5): Garrett Williams, Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, Max Melton, Kei'Trel Clark
- S (5): Budda Baker, Andrew Wingard, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Kitan Crawford, Wydett Williams
- Specialist (3): Chad Ryland, Blake Gillikin, Casey Kreiter
Arizona elected to keep seven receivers instead of six
Devin Duvernay's spot appeared secure due to his special teams contributions. That put Reggie Virgil, Simi Fehoko, and Jalen Brooks up against one another for the final spots in the crowded receiver room.
All three performed well throughout preseason, particularly Brooks, who stood out as someone able to establish a connection regardless of which Cardinals quarterback was getting reps at the time.
Fehoko is another one who deserves recognition, as it wasn't certain whether he'd make the 53-man roster. He ultimately proved his value to Arizona, separating himself enough with his contributions on special teams as well as the threat he provides the offense in the red zone.
Sean Murphy-Bunting and BJ Ojulari headline Cardinals' cuts
In less exciting news were the inevitable cuts the Cardinals had to make, headlined by some big names like Sean Murphy-Bunting and BJ Ojulari.
Murphy-Bunting was previously a trade candidate. His Cardinals tenure coming to an end is a good sign that Garrett Williams -- recently activated from the PUP by Arizona -- is another step closer to a return.
Meanwhile, Ojulari's time with the Cardinals officially comes to an underwhelming close. The LSU linebacker was a second-round pick in 2023 who unfortunately wasn't able to reach that upside as a knee injury derailed his career trajectory.
Eku Leota did make the 53, but Arizona's linebacker group as a whole could still use some addressing. We saw their lackluster defensive depth be an issue throughout a high-scoring preseason.
It's also important to note that these likely won't be the same final 53 when the Cardinals take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. There's still more work to be done in sorting out Arizona's final roster, including any potential waiver claims.
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