Simi Fehoko’s 6 foot 4, 225-pound frame absolutely screamed Red Zone target just last year, but heading into 2026 training camp, the vibe around his offensive snaps is looking bleak. You saw the guy in preseason last year, right? He looked like a legitimate complement to the starting receiver lineup. Now? It feels like all that potential is getting benched for special teams duty, and honestly, it is a tough pill to swallow for a player with his upside.
From Preseason Darling to Practice Squad Shuffle
Man, 2025 preseason, Fehoko was the real deal. He caught two touchdowns in just two games, including one of those ridiculous toe-drag swag plays that just get you hyped. He stacked up 41 offensive snaps during that preseason run, pulling in a Pro Football Focus grade of 71.6. Everything looked super rosy for him and the Cardinals' receiver room. They had 12 guys under contract heading into roster cuts last year, and most NFL teams only keep six. Fehoko was a last-day cut, which is always brutal. But the guy cleared waivers, and Arizona snapped him up for their practice squad just one day later. Talk about a rollercoaster! Then, just two weeks after that, he was called up to the main roster. He found his place on the team, proving his toughness, until Week 10 hit him hard.The Brutal Break That Shifted Everything
Week 10 of the 2025 season brought the hammer down: Fehoko broke his arm. Just like that, he was lost for the rest of the schedule. And guess what? Special teams instantly felt his absence. That speaks volumes about his impact beyond just catching passes. He racked up a career-high 116 special teams snaps in 2025 and was third on the entire team in special teams tackles, despite only playing in eight games. The dude is a grinder, no doubt about it. GM Monti Ossenfort must have seen that grit, because he re-signed Fehoko to a one-year deal this offseason to bring him back to the desert. Now, as 2026 training camp looms, it feels like the big questions for Fehoko are swirling. Will he even make the final cut? If he does, is he ever going to get offensive snaps, or is he just locked into a special teams role? Is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound guy really just on the roster to nail punt returners and nothing more? No offensive passes? No Red Zone targets? It feels like a massive underutilization of a player who showed so much potential just a year ago. Every NFL team needs those special teams warriors, no question. They need gunners, they need tacklers. But for Fehoko, it feels like the answer to his offensive future might be pretty bleak. The stakes are high for Fehoko right now. With training camp on the horizon, he is fighting to prove he is more than just a special teams ace. Will he get another chance to showcase that Red Zone ability, or is his role already sealed as just a tackler?This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.