Kyler Murray returned to preseason action for the first time since 2021, leading the Arizona Cardinals in their 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium on Saturday. Despite throwing an interception on his first drive, Murray expressed satisfaction with being back on the field.
“I really enjoyed playing tonight,” Murray said. “Football is here again. It’s the best time of year.”
Historically, Murray has not been a regular participant in preseason games, partly due to his competitive nature and skepticism about games that do not affect season standings. However, head coach Jonathan Gannon opted to play the starters this year, giving the first-unit offense 18 snaps.
“(Kyler) is a ball junkie, so he loves to play football,” Gannon said. “The team, not just Kyler, they understood why we were doing what we were doing tonight. They were excited about it … to play another team, to get lathered up and bang somebody else other than themselves.”
Gannon acknowledged some early mistakes, including a special teams turnover and an offensive turnover that led to a short-field touchdown for Kansas City. He noted these are typical issues addressed during preseason.
Murray completed seven of eight passes for 96 yards and rushed twice for nine yards. Both of his drives ended in the red zone but did not result in touchdowns. The interception was made by Chiefs defensive back Jaden Hicks after he dropped into coverage ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr.
Gannon praised Hicks’ awareness on the play. Murray took responsibility for underthrowing the pass and highlighted that such game situations cannot be fully simulated in practice.
“I’ve never really rolled out full speed (in training camp) like someone is going to tackle me,” Murray said. “It’s kind of weird to explain. But I am glad it happened. I would’ve hated for it to be New Orleans.”
Arizona will open its regular season against New Orleans.
Reflecting on his performance within the new offense, Murray said: “I would say that’s the best I’ve felt within the offense.”
Special teams struggled early as Greg Dortch fumbled away the opening kickoff and DeeJay Dallas lost possession on another return; only Dallas’ fumble was recovered by Arizona. Kansas City capitalized quickly with Patrick Mahomes leading a brief touchdown drive before leaving after three plays.
Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett contributed with a touchdown pass to Xavier Weaver before halftime and added a 43-yard scoring pass to running back Emari Demercado later in the game.
The Cardinals defense played without Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat but managed to force a punt from Mahomes’ second possession before reserves entered.
Gannon commended his team’s resilience as they prepare for joint practices against Denver next week. It remains uncertain if Murray will participate further in preseason games this year.
Murray indicated he now approaches preseason starts with more positivity: “I have fun,” he said. “I had a lot of fun out there.”
Chad Ryland’s 50-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter provided Arizona with its winning margin.
On injuries, tackle Christian Jones left with a knee issue while wide receiver Trishton Jackson exited due to a thumb injury. Gannon noted linebacker Josh Sweat could have played if it were a regular-season game but was held out as a precaution.
Other players sitting out included Calais Campbell (veteran rest), Kelvin Beachum (veteran rest), Justin Jones (knee), Jon Gaines (thumb), and Semi Fehoko (groin).
