After a six-month wait, football is officially back. The Hall of Fame Game, which has been the start of the preseason slate for a new NFL season, saw the Arizona Cardinals face off against the Carolina Panthers in an instant thriller.
As the first game of a new football year, it had everyone’s complete attention. Among them was the polarizing former nose tackle Breiden Fehoko, who revealed his ties to Cardinals wide receiver Simi Fehoko.
Breiden Fehoko Jokes About Simi Fehoko’s Touchdown
With two young quarterbacks, Carson Beck and Haynes King, going toe to toe, a buzzer-beating touchdown sealed the game. But the former’s lone passing touchdown also brought an interesting revelation to the front.
The rookie opened the game for the Cardinals under center. As the team put up two touchdowns in the first half, Beck was slinging it all over the field. By the end of the night, he had completed 15 of his 19 passing attempts for 188 passing yards and a 125.4 passer rating.
He also recorded a touchdown early in the second quarter. With the ball at the five-yard line, he chose to lob it towards the right, where Fehoko brought it down safely for the score.
Breiden, the former Pittsburgh Steelers tackle who had been keeping a close eye on the proceedings, had a hilarious quip. Taking to X, he joked, “Am I the worst athlete in the family chat? @Simi_Fehoko”
Am I the worst athlete in the family chat? @Simi_Fehoko pic.twitter.com/gAsJbsrh6X
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) August 7, 2026
Breiden, who had a five-year career at the collegiate level, won the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2019. However, he was an undrafted free agent signing for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, spending three seasons with the franchise.
Then, he alternated between the practice squad and active roster for the Steelers before being released on August 18, 2025. Nearly three months later, he officially called it a career, retiring from the sport on November 21.
But he still has ties in the league, with his cousin, Simi, trying to carve out a role for himself in Arizona. After a solid run at Stanford, where he was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2020, Fehoko was selected as a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Spending two seasons with them, most of his time on the field came on special teams. After failing to record any stats in his rookie season, he added five receptions for 24 yards in his sophomore campaign. But injuries derailed his campaign, and he was eventually waived.
Spending less than a month on the Steelers’ practice squad in 2023, he shared the locker room with Breiden but was eventually picked up by the Los Angeles Chargers as a depth piece after they lost Mike Williams.
His first year in Los Angeles was underwhelming, but his opportunities increased in the 2024 season. In his first career start, he totaled 45 yards on three receptions against the Cardinals. Last year, he signed with Arizona, only to be cut and placed on the practice squad.
But he was promoted to the active roster near the start of the season primarily as a special teams talent. Eventually, though, after a sprained ankle, broken arm, and concussion, he was placed on the injured reserve list.
Still, he finished with seven special teams tackles and a career-high 116 special teams snaps. As a result, he re-signed with the Cardinals this offseason on a one-year contract. After making a name for himself on the special teams roster, he will be looking to have an impact on the offense as well.
The first preseason game bodes well for him in that regard. Even though he finished with just one reception for five yards, it also accounted for a touchdown to give the Cardinals an early 14-7 lead before they ultimately lost the game to Haynes King’s walkoff touchdown.
