The Arizona Cardinals will take the field in Denver today for a joint practice with the Broncos, their final on-field work before Saturday’s preseason matchup at Empower Field at Mile High.
The session marks the third consecutive year Arizona has scheduled joint work ahead of a preseason road game. Under head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals have previously practiced with the Vikings and Colts, while also holding a session with the Titans in 2022.
Quarterback Kyler Murray said he is eager for the opportunity. “I’m looking forward to it, honestly,” Murray told reporters, via Darren Urban from azcardinals.com. “Probably a little too much.”
Gannon noted that the controlled setting allows for valuable game-style reps without the injury risks that come with live tackling. “You’re going against different schemes, different people,” Gannon told reporters. “It’s a new stress to your central nervous system.”
Today’s work will pit Arizona’s offense against a Denver defense that ranked near the top of the league in takeaways last season. Led by former Cardinals coordinator Vance Joseph, the unit thrives on disrupting timing and creating turnovers, and it impressed early in last week’s joint practice with San Francisco before surrendering a pair of late scoring drives.
Per Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan's Andrew Mason, Joseph is looking for more consistency, saying, “I want improvement. I want finish, I want great coverage, I want great rush and I want good football.” The mile-high altitude and forecasted 90-degree temperatures will add to the challenge for Arizona’s offense as it works to find a better rhythm after a rocky debut.
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Facing such a defense also gives Murray a chance to rebound from that performance, when an attempted no-look pass was intercepted and made viral. The Broncos’ secondary will test his timing and decision-making in a way that mirrors regular-season intensity.
The joint session will serve as Arizona’s final tune-up before Saturday night’s preseason game in Denver, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. ET. Murray said the team is eager for the challenge and the opportunity to improve against a quality opponent. “It’s the best time of the year to be able to go out,” Murray said, “and just be out there with the guys doing what we love.”