Cardinals Announce Initial 13 Players To Practice Squad For 2025

Fehoko, Carter, Hall among veterans to return

Aug 27, 2025 at 11:06 AM

Zach Gershman

azcardinals.com

Wide receiver Simi Fehoko was one of 13 players brought back to the Cardinals practice squad on Wednesday.

Simi Fehoko announced on his social media page on Tuesday that he would sign to the Cardinals practice squad if not acquired by another team.

Wednesday, the wide receiver was one of 13 players returning as the team announced their initial practice squad list.

The Cardinals will sign other players to fill out the remainder of the practice squad in the coming days. Practice squads can hold 16 players, and can have a 17th as an international player exemption.

When asked how he and general manager Monti Ossenfort build the practice squad, Jonathan Gannon said he breaks it down into three buckets. The first is based on numbers, followed by potential elevations and player development.

"If we think a guy's just not quite ready, but we want to work with them and see where it can go," Gannon said. "You balance those three buckets."

Players like undrafted rookie Elijah Simmons, Jeremiah Byers, and Elliott Brown, fit that mold. The staff was optimistic about Simmons' progression throughout training camp.

Running back Michael Carter, who had spent majority of the 2024 season on the practice squad, also returned. He was elevated and then signed to the active roster prior to the season finale. He described the practice squad experience as "really hard," but said a change in mindset allowed him to embrace the role.

The Cardinals have not added a quarterback to the practice squad as of now, leaving Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett as the only quarterbacks in the building. It's likely that the Cardinals will use the practice squad to add a third at some point.

"The roster, just like all 32 teams, is very fluid, especially in the first week or two," Gannon said. "It's probably not going to look the same as it does right now in a couple days, or even going into Week 1."

The current practice squad list: