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The Arizona Cardinals are looking to get back in the playoffs after a disappointing 2024 season that saw them flame out during the second half of the season, and Jonathan Gannon is changing up Arizona's preseason approach to try to get better results this fall.
The Cardinals were one of the many teams that didn't play their top starters in the preseason at all last season, and it showed with some early rust in the season. Gannon and company started the regular season 1-3 last year, which put them behind the curve in the NFC West.
This year, they are changing things up. Arizona will play its starters in its first preseason game on Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. When asked about the decision, the Cardinals head coach firmly planted his flag and said that he believes this will help his team, via ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.
“I think it's the best thing for our team this year, Honestly,” Gannon said, per Weinfuss. “I think we're at a good point with our health. We're at a good point with our development and I think that's this year with our team. It's the best thing to do for our guys.”
This move should specifically help the Arizona passing game, which seemed to struggle to get on the same page at times last season. The Cardinals have a very talented quarterback in Kyler Murray and two of the most skilled pass-catchers in the league in Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., but those connections failed to produce last season at the level they were expected to.
Harrison had a solid rookie season, but it still fell below expectations. The former Ohio State star finished with 885 yards and eight touchdowns on 62 catches, but he was far too quiet at times as the Arizona offense sputtered.
McBride was much more productive on a down-to-down basis, but Murray failed to find him consistently in the red zone. He scored just two touchdowns despite catching 111 balls for 1,146 yards last season and is hoping for a bigger year in 2025.
Maybe getting these guys on the same page in the preseason will help the Cardinals hit the ground running when the regular season kicks off on Sept. 7 against the New Orleans Saints. That is what Gannon is hoping for as he enters his third season as head coach.
