D. J. Humphries, Cardinals Ready For Chandler Jones Reunion

Kyler Murray says he'd like to avoid pass rusher/former teammate as much as possible

Sep 14, 2022 at 04:20 PM

Darren Urban

azcardinals.com

Left tackle D.J. Humphries will get a chance to block his former teammate Chandler Jones Sunday in Las Vegas.

D.J. Humphries knows Chandler Jones, as a friend, a former teammate, and certainly as a pass rusher, the left tackle having gone up against Jones countless times in practice for six seasons.

Humphries knows Jones. Jones knows Humphries. And yet, Humphries understands that isn't the extent of the toolbox between the two Sunday, when the Cardinals go to Las Vegas to play the Raiders – Jones' new team.

"Every year he comes up with something new and something he is trying," Humphries said after practice Wednesday. "Every offseason I'm trying and testing something new. He'll definitely have something new I don't know about and vice versa. It'll be an interesting scenario for us."

The Cardinals are desperate for a win, but so are the Raiders. It'd be naïve to think Jones – who did not record a sack in the Raiders' opening loss -- won't be highly motivated to wreck the offense of his former team.

Kliff Kingsbury knows this. The Cardinals coach declined to say if Humphries had ever gotten the best of Jones in practice over the years, because "I don't want to piss Chandler off." But he also praised his former defensive star, saying Jones embraced him when he became coach and played so well on the field.

The two traded texts in recent days, with Kingsbury saying he told Jones "don't hold it against me when we chip you and edge you with a back or a tight end every single play."

Kyler Murray knows this too. He and Jones, their lockers directly across from each other, developed a friendship over their three years together. Both had fun taking good-natured shots at the other on social media and in press conferences.

But Murray would prefer, being a quarterback and all, to keep Jones under the same "don't touch the QB" rules Jones had to abide by when the two were teammates.

A hand to the shoulder is as close as former Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones has gotten to sacking current Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray -- something Murray hopes will remain true after the Cardinals play Jones and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

"It'll be weird," Murray said. "Different seeing him in a new uniform. But at the end of the day, he's got one job, I've got one job.

"I'm going to do my best to avoid him. I don't plan on seeing too much of him."

Murray noted "I'll always have love for Chan" and Jones indeed was respected and liked in the locker room. His decision to sign with the Raiders – three years, up to $17 million per season – took some time but it was clear he wasn't going to come back to Arizona.

The Cardinals are trying to find their own pass rush, but the Raiders also were sackless as a team and Jones will pair with Maxx Crosby to harass Murray this weekend.

That's where Humphries comes in. The tempo with which he will battle Jones will be different, no matter how heated a matchup might have been a time or two at training camp. Game speed is different.

It's interesting too that Humphries and Jones both tend to play upbeat. That won't change for Humphries, although he insisted his job won't be affected by his relationship with Jones.

"Once I get between the lines it's numbers," Humphries said. "It's 'I gotta block that dude whether I know him or not. He's not on my team.' Also, I'm not one of those people who can play angry. Playing angry does nothing for me. It doesn't make me play better. It probably makes me play worse actually.

"I'm the guy who laughs in the middle of blocks, in the middle of plays. I'm having a great time. But most of the time, the guys I am close with, they are really good. There is only so much hanging out I can do, right? I've got to get him the (expletive) outta here because he's coming off the ball."

Humphries grinned as he said it. These are the matchups to relish over the season.

What's funny is that Jones once told Humphries in a practice, "You'll never go against someone in a game like me." The theory was that being able to slow or stop Jones would prep him against anyone.

Now Humphries will see if that will work against Jones himself.

"I would be wrong to not credit Chandler with a lot of my growth and success over the last six years," Humphries said. "I know how much he helped me grow as a player and build confidence in even knowing I can go against pretty much any rusher in this league because I was going against him every day."

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (83) during practice at the Dignity Health Sports Complex on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 in Tempe, AZ.