There was a who’s who on the sideline for the Cardinals’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals Friday night.
And that was for both teams. Alas, that’s the nature of preseason football, for which fans in attendance pay full price to see a lot of players that will be looking for work in September.
The Cardinals had 29 players that did not play and only one, undrafted free-agent cornerback Darrell Baker Jr., is a rookie. He didn’t practice for several days prior to the game because of an undisclosed injury.
There were 24 players watching that had significant games for the Cardinals last season. They played a total of 315 in 2021 with 220 starts. Another five played 67 games with 46 starts last season, a total that includes tight end Zach Ertz, who played for both the Cardinals and Eagles in 2021.
The Bengals had remarkably similar numbers. There were 22 returning players that totaled 306 games with 232 starts in 2021. Another four played 58 games with 44 starts for other teams. One rookie, second-round cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, is sidelined because of a core muscle injury. Defensive end Wyatt Hubert was on reserve/non-football injury for his entire rookie season in 2021, and the Bengals placed him on reserve/retired Saturday.
Consider that there were 54 players in street clothes on both teams that totaled 746 games in 2021 with 542 starts.
It’s notable from those who played that Cardinals wide receiver Andy Isabella participated in the second-highest percentage of snaps (83) of any offensive player in the game.
Charting the snaps (snaps/percentage; starters in bold)
OFFENSE (66 snaps, 29 players)
Quarterbacks: Trace McSorley (42/64), Jarrett Guarantano (24/36)
Did not play: Colt McCoy, Kyler Murray
Running backs: Jonathan Ward (26/39), Eno Benjamin (17/26), Keaontay Ingram (16/24), T.J. Pledger (5/8), Ronnie Rivers (3/5)
Did not play: James Conner, Darrel Williams
Wide receivers: Andy Isabella (55/83), Greg Dortch (37/56), Marcell Ateman (32/48), Jontre Kirklin (22/33), Andre Baccellia (17/26), Victor Bolden Jr. (12/18), JaVonta Payton (9/14)
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Did not play: Marquise Brown, A.J. Green, DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, Antoine Wesley (injured)
Tight ends: TE Deon Yelder (28/42), Bernhard Seikovits (22/33), Chris Pierce Jr. (19/29), Stephen Anderson (10/15)
Did not play: Zach Ertz (injured), Trey McBride (injured), Maxx Williams
Offensive linemen: LT Josh Jones (58/88), RT Josh Miles (48/73), C Sean Harlow (42/64), RG Will Hernandez (42/64), LG Danny Isidora (33/50), G Marquis Hayes (33/50), G Koda Martin (24/36), T Rashaad Coward (24/36), C/G Lecitus Smith (22/33), C/G Greg Long (2/3), T Haggai Ndubuisi (2/3)
Did not play: T Kelvin Beachum, C Rodney Hudson, T D.J. Humphries, G/T Justin Murray (injured), G Justin Pugh
DEFENSE (67 snaps, 28 players)
Defensive linemen: DE Jonathan Ledbetter (30/45), DE Manny Jones (30/45), NT Christian Ringo (29/43), NT Antwaun Woods (23/34), DT Leki Fotu (14/21), DE Michael Dogbe (12/18), NT Rashard Lawrence (9/13)
Did not play: DE Zach Allen, DT Kingsley Keke (COVID-19), DE J.J. Watt
Linebackers: ILB Ben Niemann (43/64), OLB Myjai Sanders (36/54), ILB Chandler Wooten (34/51), OLB Cameron Thomas (27/40), OLB Victor Dimukeje (26/39), ILB Joe Walker (25/37), OLB Jesse Luketa (22/33), ILB Zaven Collins (18/27), ILB Ezekiel Turner (14/21), OLB Jessie Lemonier (13/19), OLB Dennis Gardeck (10/15)
Did not play: OLB Markus Golden (injured), OLB Devon Kennard (injured), ILB Isaiah Simmons, ILB Tanner Vallejo, ILB Nick Vigil
Defensive backs: S James Wiggins (55/82), CB Jace Whittaker (54/81), S Tae Daley (46/69), S Charles Washington (33/49), CB Josh Jackson (26/39), CB Christian Matthew (26/39), CB Breon Borders (23/34), CB Cortez Davis (23/34), CB Antonio Hamilton (18/27), CB Marco Wilson (18/27)
Did not play: S Budda Baker, CB Darrell Baker Jr. (injured), CB Byron Murphy Jr., S Deionte Thompson, S Jalen Thompson,
SPECIAL TEAMS (33 snaps, 53 players)
LB Ben Niemann (19/58), LB Chandler Wooten (17/52), LB Jesse Luketa (14/42), CB Josh Jackson (13/39), CB Breon Borders (12/36), LB Myjai Sanders (12/36), CB Christian Matthew (11/33), LS Aaron Brewer (10/30), S James Wiggins (10/30), CB Jace Whittaker (10/30), S Tae Daley (9/27), LB Victor Dimukeje (8/24), P Andy Lee (8/24), P Nolan Cooney (8/24), K Matt Prater (7/21), LB Joe Walker (7/21), LB Cameron Thomas (4/12), LB Jessie Lemonier (4/12), S Charles Washington (3/9), DE Jonathan Ledbetter (3/9), DE Manny Jones (3/9), NT Christian Ringo (3/9), NT Antwaun Woods (3/9), CB Cortez Davis (3/9), LB Ezekiel Turner (3/9), CB Antonio Hamilton (1/3), LB Zaven Collins (1/3), CB Marco Wilson (1/3), DT Leki Fotu (1/3), DE Michael Dogbe (1/3), NT Rashard Lawrence (1/3)
