5 things to watch for during the Cardinals 2021 preseason

(Photo by Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic) Rondale Moore
(Photo by Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic) Rondale Moore /
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Arizona Cardinals
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) Chandler Jones and JJ Watt /

Will Arizona’s biggest free-agent acquisition play?

Most fans are anxious to see one of the all-time greats at his position playing in a Cardinals uniform. But will that happen during the 2021 preseason?

During the test run on the first day of training camp, three-time Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt felt some pressure in his hamstring that has put him on the sideline ever since. In fact, Watt is currently on the team’s Physically Unable to Perform list as the preseason quickly approaches.

Whether or not we see him during these three August games is probably not of great significance. The coaching staff can clearly trust a player of his caliber to perform during the regular season even without the warmup that veterans get from playing limited snaps in preseason matches.

However, if he plays, and how many snaps he takes, could foreshadow the severity of the reported hamstring tightness. It is likely that the coaching and training staff are simply being overcautious with a player with such an extensive injury history, but if Watt doesn’t touch the field it is possible that the Cardinals are keeping the extent of the injury hidden.