The Arizona Cardinals welcomed fans to State Farm Stadium for the first time in 2026 as training camp gets fully underway. The Red Sea showed up, though the Cardinals’ offense didn’t. It was a lackluster day for Mike LaFleur’s side of the ball as Jacoby Brissett continued to be a bystander during team drills. Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis all took reps with their respective units. Though there were a few splash plays — notably from Trey McBride — the offensive production mostly came from dink-and-dunk checkdowns with few passes heading to the intermediate or deep portion of the field.
Observers noted that the lack of a downfield passing game is a familiar sight during early training camp sessions, where quarterbacks often prioritize ball security over explosive gains. It is a safe bet that the coaching staff views this early stagnation as a necessary hurdle rather than a critical flaw. The defensive side of the ball showed flashes of pressure, with Darius Robinson and PJ Mustipher disrupting the pocket. Max Melton and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had nice pass break-ups, though no turnovers were forced outside of a Slovis fumbled snap. Players like Jeremiyah Love, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kendrick Bourne made plays when the ball did come their way, adding a layer of depth to the roster despite the struggles of the passing game.
That is not a dig nor worrying assessment, but rather a reminder of how early we are in the process of training camp. As LaFleur put it perfectly, players don’t need to peak on July 24; they just simply need to get better. Perhaps that happens when Brissett reenters the picture, or simply more time on task with the other quarterbacks at hand. The defensive unit displayed moments of sharpness as they reacted to new offensive schemes while the offense struggled to find rhythm. Head coach Mike LaFleur addressed the issue of fighting during practice, warning players that such actions would cost the team in the long run.
Related: Arsenal revive 90s style for new away kit
“I’ll be real with you guys. I’ll be candid. I told the guys yesterday with the fighting element, I said, ‘You don’t fight, because you can’t fight in a game.’ So why are we going to do anything,” LaFleur told reporters. He added that he reserves the right to remove a player from the field immediately if his actions jeopardize the team’s progress. “If you do fight, I have a responsibility for this team to do what is best for this team. If that means that it’s going to hurt the team to kick you out of that practice, then I got to keep you out there. If it’s going to hurt the team to keep you in practice because you’re going to keep fighting, then I got to get you out. So in that split second, I reserve the right to make the decision on what I think is best for, in that case, probably 88 other guys.”
Rookie quarterback Carson Beck appeared to be moving without issue after recovering from an elbow injury suffered in college, with his arm looking fine according to the team. The starting offensive line remained intact during drills, though running backs James Conner and Trey Benson have not yet taken the field for team work. One-on-one drills have not yet been scheduled, a departure from previous years under the new coaching staff. Roy Lopez was not dressed for practice after fully participating the day before, though LaFleur did not provide a potential injury update regarding him. The Cardinals will look to build on these moments as camp progresses.