The Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals meet for an NFL preseason matchup on Friday, and both teams are looking for fresh starts after disaster-filled 2022 seasons.
The Broncos fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games last season. Denver finished 5-12 despite trading for nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson. In his first year with Denver, Wilson set career lows in touchdown passes (16) and completion percentage (60.5) while the Broncos finished with the fewest points in the league.
The Cardinals went 4-13 and fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury only a year after making the playoffs. Arizona’s franchise QB, Kyler Murray, suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 and missed the rest of the season.
Denver hired Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton in the offseason. Payton took 2022 off from coaching after previously leading the New Orleans Saints for 15 years. Arizona opted to replace Kingsbury with Jonathan Gannon, who spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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First-looks at both new-look teams will come on Friday night.
Here’s what to know before kickoff.
Where You Can Catch Broncos-Cardinals
The Broncos play the Cardinals at 10 p.m. ET Friday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
The game will be aired on the NFL Network. It can also be streamed on multiple platforms.
Wilson Will Take Limited Snaps Against Cardinals
Payton told reporters this week that Wilson and Denver’s other starters will play somewhere between 15 and 18 snaps on Friday night.
“You want to get in there, and you want to see clean execution and timing,” Payton said to reporters on Wednesday, via Sports Illustrated. “Most importantly for the quarterback is that you’re moving the ball and giving yourself a chance to score. I think that will be important for everyone, not just him.”
The Broncos traded three players, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round pick ahead of the 2022 season. Shortly afterward, Denver signed Wilson to a five-year, $245 million extension.
Rookie to Watch
The Cardinals allowed the ninth-most sacks in the league last year, and at some point in 2023 will have a quarterback coming off of a severe injury and in need of protection.
Good thing Arizona drafted offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
The sixth-overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State has been working with Arizona’s first unit at right tackle during training camp.
Betting Odds for Broncos vs. Cardinals
Caesars Sportsbook lists Denver as a 5.5-point favorite over the Cardinals as of Thursday afternoon. The game’s over-under is listed at 37.
