Kingsbury quipped that he blames Rams coach Sean McVay, who hasn’t played starters at all in preseason, for the way such things have trended in the NFL.
“It’s hard when you look at the success the Rams have had in your division and you ask your guys to go play a bunch of snaps in preseason and they’re pointing to (the Rams) and saying, ‘They are the Super Bowl champions, it worked out for them,’ ” Kingsbury said.
Kingsbury has trust in his players to prepare. He points to last year, when there was little preseason work and the Cardinals came out in Week 1 and dominated both sides of the ball at Tennessee.
It’s understandable why Kingsbury wants to be cautious with starters like Simmons. Every head coach fears a potential injury during the preseason when bubble players fight to secure roster spots and their NFL futures.
But the lack of field time hasn’t stepped Simmons from treating practices as his preseason exhibition. It’s about staying ready for when the games matter most. Simmons is not the only expected starter with his mindset, either.
“I know it is for the secondary,” Simmons said. “We emphasize, let’s make this our game because we don’t have a preseason. In Tennessee, we wanted to make that (joint practice) feel as close to it as possible. Just having a whole understanding before we come to Week 1 against the Chiefs.”
EXTRA POINTS: Kingsbury said he was hoping that wide receiver Rondale Moore, who has an undisclosed injury, along with linebacker Markus Golden (toe), tight end Zach Ertz (calf) and guard Justin Pugh (stinger) all could ramp up to practice early next week but in terms of their status for the Chiefs in Week 1, “it’ll be close.”
If Pugh can’t go, newcomer Cody Ford will start in his place at left guard. Moore got hurt right before the Ravens preseason game. Ertz and Golden haven’t practiced since early in camp; Golden hasn’t practiced since Aug. 1.
