Kyler Murray will play in the preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday at State Farm Stadium, as well as the rest of the starters, coach Jonathan Gannon said on Tuesday.
How much they play isn’t set. There is a plan, Gannon said, but that can change over the next few days of practice with the ongoing health of the roster or what happens in the game itself.
What definitely has changed is Gannon’s approach to the preseason compared to his first two years, when Murray didn’t play and the starters that did played little. Hardly anyone of first-string consequence appeared in a preseason game in 2024.
“I told them (Monday) night they are going to play,” Gannon said.
“It’s the best thing for our team this year, honestly. We are at a good point with our health, we’re at a good point with our development, and I think this year with our team it’s the best thing to do for our guys.”
The Chiefs have been one of the few teams that has always played its starters in the preseason and are expected to again against the Cardinals. Judging by the comments by coaches around the league over the last few days, there does seem to have been a shift in the desire to play starters at least some in the preseason as opposed to holding them out of games entirely until they count.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. did return to practice on Tuesday, although fellow starting wideout Michael Wilson remains out. It is a game week, but it still isn’t the same as a regular-season week. There is no game-planning for the game, and the camp schedule still rules.
“This is still training camp,” Gannon said. “We are still going to compete this week. We are going to load them up with the proper amount of volume. We’re going to be sticking to our process.”
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