Cardinals OLB Markus Golden has no problem bringing the energy

GLENDALE — The pads were back on for Tuesday morning’s edition of Arizona Cardinals training camp.

And from the sights and sounds of practice, the energy levels were certainly elevated.

That is unless you’re linebacker Markus Golden, who hasn’t had a day off intensity-wise.

Throughout camp, Golden has been a sparkplug on the field and on the sideline.

It’s just another day at the office for the Cardinals’ unofficial hype man.

“He definitely lifts the energy level day in and day out,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Tuesday. “He is what you want. We all talk about it, he’s a joy to be around, joy to coach and he brings in every day.”

Golden enters his seventh NFL season after making his way back to the desert in 2020 following a season and a half with the New York Giants.

Throw in fans being back in the stands and it’s everything Golden could ask for.

“You go a year without having fans, it’s crazy,” Golden said. “And in football, what people don’t understand, is the fun day is Sunday.

“The tough work is during the week and so last year to get to the fun day and not have no fans there or just have a little bit of fans there, it wasn’t the same. The fans make the game better. It’s exciting.”

While Golden loved playing in New York, being a Cardinal means so much more to the linebacker.

Especially when a healthy Chandler Jones is on the roster. Golden was brought in via trade last season to help fill the void left behind by Jones after his season was cut short to just five games due to a biceps injury.

Given the opportunity to play, Golden managed to record 3.0 sacks, 14 QB hits and 23 tackles over nine games (eight starts).

But when the two are both on the field, the play speaks for itself.

In the three years Jones and Golden were together in Arizona (2016-18), the pair combined for 56 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 104 QB hits and 78 tackles for loss.

“Chandler, man, that’s the G.O.A.T,” Golden said. “He’s one of the best to ever play in the NFL. I’ve been playing with Chandler since my second year in the league. I done learned a lot from Chandler as a young player. Even now I’m still learning from him.

“I’m excited to get out there and be able to hunt with him. … I remember playing with him when we did play together and we reeked havoc. … We coming for you. Any quarterback back there, we’re coming for you.”

Markus Golden on working with J.J. Watt on the same side: pic.twitter.com/qs9Wbaa358

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 10, 2021

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