Fans return to Cardinals training camp as intensity ratchets up

GLENDALE — Since he came aboard, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has always been about mixing in low- and high-intensity days to keep his players fresh and not overloaded.

Call it coincidence or part of his master plan, but on the first day Cardinals fans were back at State Farm Stadium for training camp, the intensity meter was firmly in the red.

“Our guys, maybe no more than me, loves when the fans are out there,” Gannon said ahead of Day 2 of training camp on Thursday. “They give you energy and juice. We look forward to having people out here as much as we can and it’s kind of a precursor to our home opener. It’s going to be loud and it’s going to be home-field advantage for us. We got good fans here and we got to put on a show for them.”

“A lot of juice out there,” center Hjalte Froholdt added after practice, acknowledging he didn’t know fans would be in attendance until stepping on the field. “It’s always good to have someone watch you. You go a little bit harder. It was good. Juices were flowing. It was awesome.”

The Cardinals offense certainly got the memo, with quarterback Kyler Murray looking down the field early and often during throughout the day.

From Trey McBride to Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona’s pass catchers turned up the heat against the defense Thursday afternoon.

It wasn’t just them, either, with veteran addition Zay Jones seemingly coming down with everything that came his way. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch continued to show their connection with the franchise quarterback, too.

Things that work:

– Kyler Murray’s legs (and arm)
– Michael Wilson’s hands#AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/q8rE2MfMEd

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 25, 2024

The quick scuffle between offensive lineman Will Hernandez and inside linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. was further proof of the intensity for the day.

That’s not to say there weren’t opportunities for Cardinals corners to steal the show, especially when looking at second-year pro Garrett Williams.

Whether it be Murray, Desmond Ridder or Clayton Tune, Williams was in the vicinity to snag a couple of passes, narrowly missing out on the opportunities the signal callers gave him.

Rookie Max Melton also had a chance at an INT, letting a telegraphed pass by from Tune slip through his grasp.

The defense didn’t come away empty handed on the day, however, with Verone McKinley III getting the better of Ridder during 7-on-7s for the first interception of Cardinals camp.

He let his teammates know, too, pointing to the sideline as he took it the other way.

#AZCardinals safety Verone McKinley III w/the INT off QB Desmond Ridder.

(McKinley named first-team All-American at Oregon in 2021; spent last two seasons w/MIA) pic.twitter.com/GZI9Q6Yor1

— Paul Calvisi (@PaulCalvisi) July 25, 2024

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