A seventh-round South Carolina product who has carved out a role as a returner and rotational receiver after bouncing through practice squads.
Jalen Brooks is a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals who has spent much of his young career fighting for a roster spot. After starting in Dallas, he found steadier NFL footing in Arizona, contributing on offense and as a kick returner.
Path to the league
Brooks played college football at South Carolina, where the 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver caught 33 passes for 504 yards and a touchdown in the 2022 season. The Dallas Cowboys selected him with the 27th pick of the seventh round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Brooks began his pro career on Dallas's roster and practice squad before eventually making his way to Arizona. His path has been defined by persistence, working through practice-squad stints to earn active-roster snaps as both a depth receiver and a kick returner.
2025 season recap
Brooks began the 2025 season on the Cowboys' practice squad before spending several weeks with the Cardinals, who elevated him to the active roster. In five regular-season appearances, he recorded three catches for 51 yards on six targets and added 10 kick returns for 254 yards.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jalen Brooks
- ESPN: Jalen Brooks
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
5 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cardinals | 5 | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2024 | cowboys | 14 | 12 | 177 | 14.8 | 1 | 41 |
| 2023 | cowboys | 7 | 6 | 64 | 10.7 | 0 | 24 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- South Carolina
- Hometown
- Harrisburg, NC, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
Latest news about Jalen Brooks
All news →Cardinals Beat Raiders 27-14 in Preseason Week 1
Arizona Cardinals 27, Las Vegas Raiders 14 at Allegiant Stadium. Gardner Minshew II went 14 of 16 for 101 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Haynes King's Walk-Off TD Lifts Panthers Past Cardinals 33-30 in Hall of Fame Game
The undrafted rookie improvised a game-winning scramble as time expired, capping a back-and-forth shootout that also featured a sharp NFL debut from Arizona's Carson Beck.
Panthers Edge Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame Game
Carolina Panthers 33, Arizona Cardinals 30 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Haynes King went 21 of 34 for 180 yards with 2 touchdowns.
