If there’s one thing to know about Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon as he enters his second year on the job, it’s his enthusiasm for joint practices and the extra reps they provide.
For the second time under Gannon’s leadership, the Cardinals are setting up camp away from Tempe or Glendale. Last year, they traveled to Minnesota for joint practices with the Vikings. In 2024, the Cardinals are heading to Indianapolis for a couple of sessions with the Colts.
Aside from Saturday’s 16-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints, this week offers the Cardinals one of their first opportunities to face an opponent other than themselves. As seen across the league, extended practice sessions between two teams can often lead to disagreements (and hefty fines).
However, Gannon expects business as usual from his team.
“They’re going to practice the exact same way they have been practicing,” Gannon said on Monday. “That’s how [Colts head coach Shane Steichen] and I are going to do it. Just got off the phone with him this morning. It’s going to be a good two days of work. I’m very excited to get on a plane and go.”
Despite the routine approach, the next couple of days of joint practices are likely to bring some extra intensity.
“Joint practices show you where you are as a team and as a player,” cornerback Starling Thomas V said on Monday. “The competition level is always higher in practice than it is in the game. It’s going to be hot out there, it’s going to be muddy. Tensions are going to be rising because you get to go against another color. But it’s going to be a fun practice for us, and we’re going out there expecting to play at a high level and win each day.”
These joint practices are a crucial part of Gannon’s preseason strategy, providing Arizona’s coaching staff with a controlled environment to continue coaching up players, especially with the benefit of game tape from Saturday’s loss.
“I liked where our mode of play was in the game, but the things we need to get better at and improve on are technique against different people and the execution of schematic things within each group. That’s probably always going to be one of the answers,” Gannon said.
“It’s cool because it’s not just technique going Cards vs. Cards … I want to see technique show up against different opponents. I think that’s a good barometer for where we’re at. Can we do what we’re coached to do consistently?”
These joint practices also represent the only times quarterback Kyler Murray — and potentially other Cardinals starters — will see preseason action against another team before Week 1’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
While Gannon and the rest of the franchise feel confident about where Murray stands after a full, healthy offseason, the opportunity for him to get some reps against the Colts was a key factor in the decision to sit him throughout the preseason.
