The Arizona Cardinals play their first preseason game of the year next Friday night at home against the Denver Broncos. This brings the yearly question asked of every team — how much will the starters, and especially veteran starters, play?
The Cardinals have a new coaching staff, so there is no past to look like.
What does new head coach Jonathan Gannon say? What is his philosophy about preseason reps?
It depends.
“Case-by-case basis,” he told reporters Thursday. “Every team’s a different team. Every player is a different player. Those conversations are going on now. We’ll make that decision collectively with the player, make sure he understands why the decision is made and we’ll go from there.”
There is a balance to be had.
The Cardinals have a new offense and defense.
Previously, it made sense to let the veterans all sit out. There was an offensive and defensive system in place for multiple seasons.
However, preseason reps also expose starters and key contributors to potential injury before games even count, which is one of the most frustrating things for fans and players.
Being a new system, perhaps we can expect everyone to get at least a few snaps, with younger players and bubble players on the roster getting most of the looks for more possibilities for evaluation.
But we will find out soon enough, as the Cardinals and Broncos will take the field next Friday night.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
