A former Virginia Cavalier who tied for the CFL sack lead with Edmonton before earning a shot with Arizona.
Elliott Brown's path to the NFL ran through Canada. After going undrafted out of Virginia, he spent two seasons terrorizing CFL quarterbacks with the Edmonton Elks before signing with the Cardinals to chase an NFL roster spot.
Path to the league
Brown played defensive end and linebacker at Virginia from 2017 to 2021, appearing in 43 games across five seasons. He went undrafted, signed with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL in June 2023, and later signed a futures deal with the Arizona Cardinals on January 13, 2025.
Career highlights
As a senior at Virginia in 2021, Brown recorded 25 solo tackles, 17 assists, three sacks and a pass breakup, and he was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll. His best season came in 2024 with Edmonton, where he started all 18 games and posted 44 tackles and 8.0 sacks, a total that tied for the CFL lead and earned him CFL West Division All-Star honors.
2025 season recap
Brown spent the 2025 preseason and regular season on Arizona's practice squad after being waived in final roster cuts. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Cardinals on January 5, 2026, keeping his roster spot as he continues pushing for an active-roster role.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Elliott Brown (gridiron football)
- Cardinals.com: From CFL To NFL, Elliott Brown Is On A Mission
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Virginia
- Hometown
- Odenton, MD, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
