Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals preseason Week 1 Q&A preview with Chiefs Wire
The Arizona Cardinals have their first preseason action this weekend. They take on the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday from State Farm Stadium, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. Arizona time). The Cardinals have closed out training camp in Glendale and now move to a more normal weekly schedule.
They will play their starters, including quarterback Kyler Murray. The Chiefs' starters are expected to get in about a quarter of work.
It is only the preseason, but Chiefs Wire managing editor John Dillon and I got together to ask and answer some general questions about each team's training camp and offseason.
Leading into the preseason opener, we go "behind enemy lines" to learn more about the Chiefs.
What have been the biggest training camp storylines so far in 2025?
The competition in Kansas City's receiving corps has been more intense than usual at training camp. Lesser-known guys like Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, and rookie Jalen Royals have all put together impressive performances consistently, but may still be on the outside looking in when the Chiefs cut their roster to 53 players. Given the uncertainty surrounding Rashee Rice's eventual suspension, Thornton, Remigio, or Royals may have more of a chance to earn a legitimate shot at playing time than would otherwise be normal for a team of Kansas City's stature.
Who have been the biggest standouts of camp?
Among the biggest standouts have been first-round pick Josh Simmons and third-round pick Ashton Gillotte. The pair has been involved in a few extracurricular exchanges during practice, and seem to be particularly fired up at training camp. Simmons is tentatively expected to be the Chiefs' starting left tackle this season, and Gillotte may prove to be one of Kansas City's most productive rookies, if injuries on the team's defensive line force him onto the field.
Is there anything different offensively or defensively the Chiefs are doing so far?
It remains unclear how the Chiefs' game plan will change (though I suspect we may begin to find out on August 9) but the departure of veteran safety Justin Reid will fundamentally reshape the way Steve Spagnuolo's defense operates. With Reid out of the mix, Kansas City is set to rely on second-year defender Jaden Hicks to buoy the back end of its secondary.
How much are starters expected to play?
I'd expect Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and the rest of the Chiefs' established veterans to play no more than a few downs each. Maybe one whole drive, probably not even that. But, Kansas City's roster is stacked with young playmakers like the aforementioned Royals, Simmons, and Gillotte (among others) who will be looking to either sustain their starting spot on the Chiefs' depth chart, or potentially compete for second-string roles.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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