The Arizona Cardinals landed in Cincinnati Thursday afternoon in preparation for their preseason opener against the Bengals Friday night. It is only the second time the Cardinals have faced the Bengals in the preseason and the first time since 1971.
For a trio of Cardinals, it will be their first football trip back to Cincinnati, either since they played for the Bengals or for the Cincinnati Bearcats in college.
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WR A.J. Green
Green is a Bengals legend. He played there for a decade before signing with the Cardinals a year ago and then re-signing this offseason.
It is his first game facing the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2011.
He still has some close friends within the organization, but he told reporters Wednesday that he isn’t feeling any emotions about going back there. That could be impacted by the fact the game is an exhibition and he isn’t expected to play anyway. There is nothing at stake for him.
OLB Myjai Sanders
Sanders is a rookie so it was just last season he played collegiately in Cincinnati. It is a bigger deal for him than for Green.
He told reporters Monday he was planning on getting a few tickets for friends and family to see him. He is excited to show people that players who go to Cincinnati can make it to the NFL.
Sanders is expected to get plenty of playing time and he is a player to watch, as he has stood out some in training camp.
S James Wiggins
Wiggins enters his second season in the NFL after the Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round out of Cincinnati.
