Hold up, Cardinals fans, because Mike LaFleur just dropped a bombshell about Friday night’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field: your starters? Yeah, they’re not playing. The newly minted head coach confirmed that traditionally, NFL teams don’t play their starting lineup in the final preseason tilt, and he’s sticking to it. This isn’t just a friendly exhibition, though. This is the last chance for dozens of guys to prove their worth before “The Turk” makes his rounds for the dreaded 53-man roster cuts on Sunday, August 30.
Brotherly Battle and Roster Bubble Drama
This game against Green Bay is already hyped as the first-ever “LaFleur Bowl,” with Mike facing off against his older brother Matt, who coaches the Packers. They’ve clashed twice before when Mike was the OC for the Rams, but this is the first time they’ll go head-to-head as NFL head coaches. Plus, it’s a “Melton Bowl” with Cardinals cornerback Max Melton squaring up against his brother, Packers receiver Bo Melton. Forget the family rivalry, though. The real story here is the bottom third of the roster, where dreams are made or broken. With up to 90 guys in camp right now, coaches are agonizing over every decision, trying not to cut a future Kurt Warner. LaFleur made it clear: no starters are playing. That even includes rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, who’s still nursing an ankle injury.
Quarterback Carousel and Injury Watch
So if the starters are out, who’s slinging the rock? Expect to see plenty of Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis under center. Jacoby Brissett, the starting QB, won’t even suit up, which is standard practice for a guy locked into his role. And rookie Carson Beck? He’s been sidelined since the Hall of Fame Game with a rib injury and hasn’t thrown a pass in recent practice, so he’s out too. While the general rule is “no starters,” LaFleur did hint at a “couple exceptions” with a player or two who will be starting come September 13 possibly getting some reps. It’s all about player evaluation right now.
One of those potential exceptions is DE Josh Sweat. The guy hasn’t been practicing and has zero snaps in any of the three other exhibition games. LaFleur noted that Sweat only got in one workout. Could we see him out there for a couple of series just to shake off the rust? It’s a real possibility, though the coaching staff could just as easily wait until Week 1 for his dust-off. LaFleur sounded positive about Sweat’s return: “It was great to have him out there. When you get some of those pieces out there, you can feel it with the other guys, too. They were happy to see him again. He’s according to plan. It’s right on schedule in terms of when he was going to get out there. He’ll be out there again tod…”
This isn’t just another preseason game. This is the last audition before the real season kicks off. Every snap for those guys on the bubble is literally about their NFL career. Come Sunday, August 30, a lot of players will be looking for a new home.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
Leave a Reply