Sure, it ended with a win on the board, but Jonathan Gannon has concerns. A turnover on special teams, a quick Kansas City touchdown off a short field, and then another giveaway by the offense—not exactly the dream script. Still, preseason is the one time of year when these mistakes can sting less, and in the end, the Cards pulled off a 20-17 win over the reigning champs in Saturday’s opener.

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Kyler Murray, making his first preseason appearance since 2021. For the most part, he looked sharp—except for one snap he’d want back. Dropping back, Murray never saw Jaden Hicks slide off coverage of Trey McBride and jump the route in front of Marvin Harrison Jr., picking him off clean. Even without Hicks in the picture, the throw probably wasn’t making it to Harrison.

Still, Murray bounced back quickly. He wrapped his night with 96 passing yards on 7-of-8 attempts, plus 9 yards on two scrambles. His second drive ended in a field goal after the offense stalled on a third-and-1, but Arizona got strong pass protection and production from Harrison and McBride. Those flashes were exactly what the home crowd needed to see in his limited run.

However, the turnovers on returns were a glaring sore spot—three fumbles in total—and Jonathan Gannon wasn’t sugarcoating it. “We got to do a good job. We got to look at our ball security, we got to coach it, we got to drill it, and we got to do a better job of that. Those guys know that. And, defensively in practice, we need to create more attempts on the ball to make sure that our ball carriers, receivers, backs, whoever they’re ready for those shots, but they’ll correct it,” he said, making it clear the issue won’t be left to linger.

Adding to the frustration, Greg Dortch coughed up the opening kickoff, leading to a short 13-yard Chiefs touchdown drive before Patrick Mahomes exited after just three plays. DeeJay Dallas lost the ball on the next return, though Arizona recovered. Thankfully, veteran backup Jacoby Brissett steadied the ship before halftime, capping a drive with a 1-yard strike to Xavier Weaver.

And even with Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat sidelined, the defense held its own. After forcing a punt on KC’s second possession, the subs came in, and Brissett struck again—this time with Emari Demercado taking a dump pass and exploding 43 yards for a score. With that mix of resilience and fixable flaws, Gannon’s crew walks away from this win knowing there’s work ahead, but also proof they’re ready to keep pushing toward the season.

Jonathan Gannon’s QB feels “anything is possible“

Kyler Murray isn’t tossing around empty talk—he truly thinks the Cardinals can go all the way. Back in May, when asked how far Arizona is from contending, he fired back without blinking: “Not far at all. Anything is possible.” That’s no small claim for a team with just one playoff trip in its six seasons, but Murray’s never been one to shrink from a challenge.

And ever since he chose the gridiron over the diamond, that dream has been crystal clear. Winning the Heisman and going No. 1 overall only sharpened his focus. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to win Super Bowls,” he said. While he admits a ring won’t define his life, it’s still the prize that fuels his grind.

Looking back, last season left him with both frustration and hope. The Cardinals’ 8-9 finish kept them home in January, yet in his eyes, “We could have easily won 10 games.” Instead of lingering on missed chances, he sees a fresh start ahead with free agency moves and the draft giving him “encouraged” vibes.

Even though baseball still tugs at his heart, Murray knows “probably the most scrutinized position in all of sports” demands his full attention. Gannon agrees—this is a one-track mission.

So now, Murray’s betting on himself, on his teammates, and on Gannon’s vision. With his confidence peaking, he’s sure their shot is coming. For him and Gannon, the only question is when.