How much will Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr., Kyler Murray play this preseason?

GLENDALE — Thursday’s Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans marks the first preseason exhibition of the year. It also signals to the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the league that their first taste of live action isn’t all that far away.

Naturally, that begs the question: How much will Arizona’s starters, namely wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and quarterback Kyler Murray, play in games that don’t count?

So far, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has remained mum on the subject when discussing Murray’s preseason workload. The first game is still more than a week away, too, giving the head coach ample time to set up a proper plan.

Whether he plays or not, Murray seems up for whatever having multiple NFL seasons under his belt and understanding what the league demands.

“I just do my job and listen to what they say,” the signal caller said Monday when asked if he’s a part of any of the preseason-playing-time discussions.

Given Murray’s preseason track record, seeing him in street clothes for all or the majority of exhibition games wouldn’t be all that surprising.

Throwing out 2020 (COVID-19 cancellations) and 2023 (torn ACL recovery), Murray has appeared in just one preseason game since 2021. He sat out all of 2022 and appeared in one of the two tilts the year prior. The only time Murray saw more than one game of preseason action was in 2019, when he played in three of four contests as a rookie.

At the end of the day, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the franchise quarterback, who isn’t that far removed from a torn ACL and the long road back to full strength, played coach for three preseason games.

His command of the offense and relationship with the coaching staff and teammates appears stronger than ever seven days into training camp. Still, getting a series or two in with some of the new playmakers on the roster isn’t the worst idea on the planet.

But for Harrison, who has yet to play in an NFL game — preseason or otherwise — he’s all for suiting up ahead of the regular season.

“Hopefully I get to play.”

Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. definitely wants to get out there and compete this preseason but also trusts the coaching staff’s judgement if that’s not the case. #AZCardinals #Birdgang pic.twitter.com/UTSs3UCZkr

— Cardinals Corner (@AZCardsCorner) August 2, 2024

“Hopefully I get to play. I definitely want to play, get out there, always compete,” Harrison said Thursday. “But the coaches are always going to do the right thing that’s best for me, best for the team, so I’ll always trust them and their judgement.

“But honestly, I think there should be preseason games in college. I think they should take advantage of that a little bit more. In college, you only play 12 games. Two extra games won’t hurt for a preseason. Hopefully, I get a chance to go out there and compete.”

Harrison might very well get his wish, with Gannon understanding the importance of getting a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

“I think he needs to get out there and play, but we’ll make that decision when we gotta make that decision,” Gannon said ahead of Thursday’s practice. “We’re taking it day by day right now.”

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