Kyler Murray tosses interception in abbreviated preseason showing vs. Chiefs

GLENDALE — They call preseason games dress rehearsals for a reason.

The exhibitions give teams time to iron out wrinkles before things really get real.

That’s good news for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and the starting offense, who definitely showed some rust early into Saturday’s preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Picking up a trio of first downs through the air (two) and on the ground (one), the Cardinals offense effectively drove down to Kansas City’s 17-yard line before disaster struck.

Jaden Hicks with the @Chiefs pick!

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1KJRExiDak

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025

Looking for a crossing Marvin Harrison Jr., Murray instead found a waiting cornerback Jaden Hicks for the interception.

Strong start, bad finish to the drive.

The interception was the lone blemish on the stat line for Murray, who went 7-of-8 for 96 yards and the pick.

But hey, that’s what the preseason is for.

“I’m never really rolling out full speed as if somebody’s actually going to tackle me (in practice),” Murray said postgame. “It’s kind of weird to explain, but yeah, just got to get more on it. I’m glad it happened though. I’m glad it happened because I would hate for that to be New Orleans, and it means something.”

Luckily for Murray and the starting offense, head coach Jonathan Gannon rolled them out there for a second go of it.

Starting at their own 18-yard line, Murray and the offense chipped away at Kansas City’s defense behind a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive that ended with a Chad Ryland field goal (33 yards).

Going for it on fourth-and-one from Kansas City’s 15-yard line would have been nice to see, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Second-year pro Trey Benson had a lot to do with Arizona’s success on the drive. Replacing James Conner on the drive, the young running back accounted for 13 yards on four carries while adding a 20-yard catch on a screen pass.

Picking up the first down on a third-and-one look would have been icing on the cake for Benson.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is expecting a breakout season from second-year RB Trey Benson in 2025. pic.twitter.com/A3gnyjObzm

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 10, 2025

“I think this will be a big breakout year for Trey,” Murray said. “I say the same thing with (Marvin Harrison Jr.), I think it’s just confidence and then reps that’s letting the game slow down for him. The more football he’s going to play, the better he’s going to be.”

The offensive line, which included right guard and training camp standout Isaiah Adams, also showed a lot of consistency in the abbreviated outing.

Defense up against a wall early

Cardinals fans didn’t have to wait long to the see the revamped defense — albeit without Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell thanks to a fumble from return man Greg Dortch on the opening kick.

Getting the ball back on Arizona’s 26-yard line, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs only needed a couple plays to find the end zone.

A Will Johnson defensive pass interference call in the end zone set up wide receiver Jason Brownlee’s one-yard touchdown against cornerback Max Melton.

It was very much a bounce-back effort from the first-string, which did not include Calais Campbell or Josh Sweat, the second time around.

With Mahomes’ night already over, the defense forced a Kansas City punt eight plays in. Defensive lineman Dante Stills deserves a lot of credit for a third-down holding call to erase any chance at extending the drive.

While the majority of the first-team defense came off after that series, Johnson, Melton and inside linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither saw extra run with the second unit.

Tough night for Cardinals return men

Between Dortch and DeeJay Dallas, the Cardinals had three balls hit the ground during returns.

Unlike Dortch’s lost fumble, Dallas’ — which came on the ensuing kick after Dortch’s mishandle — was recovered. The running back also muffed a punt before corralling it and taking a massive hit.

With special teams being a Cardinals strength, that’s got to get cleaned up.

“We got to look at our ball security,” Gannon said. “We got to coach it. We got to drill it and we got to do a better job of that.”

You know those guys know that but defensively in practice we need to create more attempts on the ball, you know, to make sure that our ballcarriers, receivers, backs, whoever, they’re ready for those shots. But they’ll correct it.”

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon continues to fill his adaptability bucket

Saturday marked the first time in a long time that Murray and the full brunt of starters got action in the preseason.

For the franchise signal caller specifically, these were the first exhibition snaps he saw since 2021.

Getting Murray and the rest of the starters some early preseason run was the right and necessary call to make for Gannon.

Not only do the starters get a taste of live football against another opponent, they also go through their respective game routines.

It’s unclear how much, if at all, the starters will play the rest of the preseason, but Saturday at the very least was a good way to knock off some rust before the games count.

“I had fun. I had a lot of fun out there,” Murray said.

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