When Jacoby Brissett steps into the huddle for the Arizona Cardinals during Saturday’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he expects to feel a range of emotions. The veteran quarterback, who joined the Cardinals two months ago in free agency, acknowledged that nerves will be present even though he has been in the league for a decade.
“These guys don’t know me, like I just got here two months ago and I’m going out there to try to show them, like ‘Hey, I can play football,'” Brissett said. “I feel like it’s my first year again. I feel like I’m a rookie and I’m trying to get my teammates trust.”
Brissett brings significant experience with 87 regular season appearances, 11,400 passing yards and 53 touchdowns in his career. His familiarity with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork has helped him adjust to his new team.
“I know what they want and what they are looking for, not just for myself, but for other players and how the offense is supposed to look to a certain extent,” he said.
Despite his background, Brissett faces new challenges as he prepares to lead an offense with many players also trying to make an impression during preseason.
“It’s something that just comes with it and you obviously want everyone to be on the same page and go out there and execute the plays and let the results be the results,” Brissett said. “As a quarterback, you want to put them in the best position possible to make plays, whether that’s getting into the right runs or throws. I’m definitely excited to see that and see the guys go out there and make plays.”
Saturday’s matchup will also feature starters from both teams playing at least part of the game. Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Patrick Mahomes will play during the first quarter. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon indicated his starters would also participate.
“We are going to get it because (Mahomes) is the best of the best,” Gannon said. “The guys are excited. I’m excited. One of the reasons is you want to play different people, and you want to play who you are going to play during the season. That’s what we are going to get on Saturday night, so it will be good for us.”
Gannon’s approach this year includes more participation from starters in preseason games compared with previous training camps. Quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to play in his first preseason game since 2021. The team also held consecutive padded practices for the first time since Gannon took over as head coach.
Preseason games serve as important evaluation tools as teams reduce their rosters from 90 players down to 53 before the regular season begins. These games are considered by Gannon alongside joint practices—such as those scheduled next week in Denver—for assessing player performance.
Unlike regular season contests where teams prepare detailed strategies based on opponents’ tendencies, preseason games require players like Brissett to rely more on fundamental principles instilled during camp.
“That’s what makes (preseason games) hard because you would never go into a game and not know ‘Who is this guy? What are they doing? What are their tendencies?'” Brissett said. “Let’s go see what our rules tell us to do and let’s go out there and execute. They may get us at times and we may get them, but let’s stay true to our rules.”
