Starling Thomas V

Starling Thomas V (born January 25, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UAB Blazers.

Early life Thomas was born on January 25, 2000, and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Ramsay High School and was a top two-way player, being ranked a three-star prospect. He placed as the 145th-best cornerback recruit nationally and the 53rd-best player in the state, and chose to commit to UAB over Middle Tennessee, Memphis and Southern Miss, among others.

College career Thomas saw immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2018, appearing in 12 games while recording three pass breakups and 10 tackles. He also saw action as a return specialist. He played in the East–West Shrine Bowl after the season ended.

Detroit Lions Although various sources projected Thomas as a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he ended up going unselected. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on August 29, 2023.

Arizona Cardinals A day after being waived by the Lions, Thomas was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals. He played in 12 games with seven starts in 2023, recording 38 tackles and five passes defensed. He was named a starting corner the following season, starting 15 of 17 games, recording 47 tackles, six passes defensed, and a forced fumble.

During training camp in 2025, Thomas suffered a torn ACL and was ruled out for the season.

On March 12, 2026, Thomas re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year contract.

On August 30, 2026, he was waived. On August 31, Thomas was signed to the practice squad.