PHX Reporter

Pads don't go on until next week, but the first dust-up of camp occurred on Day 2. Cardinals radio analyst Ron Wolfley may have played a part.

Wolfley, who also hosts a talk show on Arizona Sports, interviewed guard Will Hernandez at lunchtime on Thursday and asked if he had gotten into a camp fight. Hernandez smiled, noting they had only had one practice and it hadn't happened yet.

However, by Thursday afternoon it did. Hernandez and linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. had a brief altercation after a play. Hernandez admitted he got "a little carried away."

"It's been many, many months of no football and when you get back into it sometimes that's what happens," Hernandez said. "The point is to check ourselves and make sure we take care of our teammates at the end of the day."

Coach Jonathan Gannon does not favor fights at practice. Hernandez mentioned he would speak with Gannon later to clear things up but emphasized that it was up to him and the players to prevent such incidents from escalating.

The battle for backup quarterback will be interesting, according to Gannon, who stated it would be challenging to decide whether to keep two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Desmond Ridder, acquired in a trade for Rondale Moore, and Clayton Tune, a 2023 fifth-round pick, are competing for the role.

"They know it's a healthy competition," Gannon said.

Keeping an extra quarterback impacts other roster positions as well. Every decision affects other areas like cornerback or running back spots.

Fans were excited during the first open practice of camp. Garrett Williams appeared set to pair with Sean Murphy-Bunting in formations featuring two cornerbacks. Rookie Max Melton received some first-team work when expanded to three cornerbacks while Starling Thomas V will also get opportunities.

Roy Lopez has been working alongside top free-agent defensive linemen Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols with the first unit. Evan Brown was working at left guard early in the process.

Although real tackling isn't happening yet, James Conner looked spry in run game drills while center Hjalte Froholdt praised rookie Trey Benson's consistency in making cuts.

Rookie tight end Tip Reiman is being integrated more into the passing game than during his time at Illinois due to his untapped athleticism.

Among passing highlights: Zay Jones made a notable catch against Max Melton on a Clayton Tune throw during 7-on-7 drills; Desmond Ridder was intercepted by safety Verone McKinley III but later connected well with tight end Elijah Higgins and Zay Jones during 11-on-11 drills; Kyler Murray found Marvin Harrison Jr., Greg Dortch deep, and Michael Wilson over the middle with accurate throws.

Lastly, Gannon commented positively about new practice jerseys featuring player names initiated by head equipment manager Jeff Schwimmer: "I love that by Schwim and his staff," Gannon said. "Truthfully that detail I didn't even know about until we got out there."