The Cardinals will play their first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, but one player has already been ruled out. Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters, including Bo Brack of PHNX Sports , that starting quarterback Kyler Murray will not play in the preseason.

Jonathan Gannon says Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will not play this preseason. @PHNX_Cardinals

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) August 6, 2024

It won’t be until the Cardinals’ Week 1 contest against the Buffalo Bills on September 8 that we see the full starting offense. Instead much of the process for getting ready for the season will happen away from the cameras. Given Murray’s importance to the long-term health of the organization, and their pursuits to winning a Super Bowl, they’ve elected to keep their starting signal caller under wraps.

The first preseason game rarely sees much action for the main starters on offense or defense. It will be an opportunity for players who are competing for a spot on the roster and depth players to get an extensive look in a game-like situation. The game tape will be more valuable for those players than it will be for those who have a relatively secure spot on the likely 53-man roster after cutdowns.

With the starters playing less in the preseason, the month of September has essentially become a defacto preseason during the regular season. The only difference is those games count towards the team’s final record in January.