Joint Practice Provided Opportunity for Starters with No Preseason Snaps

The Arizona Cardinals' starters got good competition work in with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

The Arizona Cardinals have treated their preseason slate as an evaluation for those vying for a roster spot and opportunities for younger players to get reps. 

Most starters, including quarterback Kyler Murray, safety Budda Baker and running back James Conner, have not taken the field at any point, a difference from last year when they got a limited run. 

That made Wednesday such an important day for the Cardinals as they participated in a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. 

DeAndre Hopkins made a one-handed grab against an opposing defender and Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted a pass against a non-Cardinals quarterback. 

Talk Yo Talk 🗣@byronmurphy pic.twitter.com/4wPVetZTqg

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 24, 2022

"Going against your same teammates week-in and week-out, that kind of gets boring," Baker said Wednesday. "It's fun to go against a new type of group, and especially with a lot of the ones not playing in the preseason, this joint practice has helped a lot with us covering different guys."

The Cardinals competed in 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s, 11-on-11s and the two-minute drill, which Baker said gave the team experience on what they will face during the season. 

The two-minute drill was a standout for Baker and head coach Kliff Kingsbury, with Murphy's interception being one of the plays of the day. 

Kingsbury felt his team got out of it what it wanted, and now their starters have tape against an opponent to go over. 

"Good energy, you felt the competitive fire from our guys," Kingsbury said Wednesday. "A lot to clean up, but I really liked the energy and I like the way they competed."

The Cardinals have one more preseason game before getting a week off from games before the regular season begins Sept. 11. 

Teams handle the preseason differently.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for instance, will start quarterback Tom Brady and starters in their final preseason game. Many teams are in Arizona's camp of just waiting until the games count. 

The Cardinals have also had injuries and COVID-19 cases throughout camp, notably with Murray (wrist, COVID), Marquise Brown (hamstring) and J.J. Watt (COVID). 

Conner said he sees both sides, and that it's ultimately up to the coaching staff on how they handle their players. 

He feels like he's gotten good work in this camp without having to suit up for a game day. 

Right tackle Kelvin Beachum had a similar sentiment, saying he would like a taste of the action in preseason, but understands that health is more important than anything at this point. 

"I'm thinking about the long game," Beachum said after Thursday's walkthrough. "We got a long season to play, we got a lot of games to play, we got a lot of games to win this year. I'd rather be healthy for those games."

He said this week in Tennessee has been refreshing, though, and beneficial both on the field and off.  

The Cardinals and Titans had only one day of joint practice due to health concerns on both teams before they play Saturday in the preseason finale. 

Cody Ford

Ford, whom the Cardinals traded for on Monday, took first-team reps with the offensive line at left guard against the Titans. Kingsbury said he will get some playing time Saturday.