23 days till the Cardinals' season opener against the Bills

The Arizona Cardinals are one day away from their second preseason game of the year and a little more than three weeks away from games that count. In 23 days, they will take the field at Highmark Stadium on September 8 to take on the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 1.

No. 23 on the roster is currently veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, a player they are counting on to bring steady play to the cornerback room.

He has not yet played a game for the Cardinals, as he was signed a to a three-year free agent contract this offseason. He obviously has not yet made an impact.

The last No. 23 to be impactful was a guy who should have made more of an impact but injuries robbed him of two seasons. That was cornerback Robert Alford. He was signed in 2019 to be the team’s No. 2 cornerback. He broke his leg in training camp. In 2020, he tore a pectoral muscle in camp and missed that season. Both times, he looked like perhaps the best defensive back on the team.

In 2021, he returned on a reduced contract and played 13 games of good football. He was the Cardinals’ most consistent cover guy but he got hurt late in the year again.

The countdown continues tomorrow.

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