Denzel Burke was driving home from the Arizona Cardinals’ facility on May 15 when the reality hit him. The reality that, yes, he is an NFL player now, even if his debut is months away.
Why that night? Burke can’t quite explain that part.
Maybe it’s the process of moving out of his parents’ house, where the Cardinals’ fifth-round pick grew up as a prospect at Brophy Prep and Saguaro High. Maybe it’s closing on a house of his own, that seminal step of adulthood. Or maybe it’s the freshness of his new surroundings wearing off.
A week ago, Cardinals rookies arrived for the first time at the team’s Tempe facility, where they were addressed by owner Michael Bidwill, general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon. A classic first day on the job introduction. It’s never quite a real workday.
Everything since has been a whirlwind. This time of year, veterans finish their work for the day around lunchtime, but the rookies stay through the afternoon, learning everything from the Cardinals’ playbook to niche NFL rules to how Gannon’s staff works in the weight room.
“Just learning the different types of rules, the fines (has been most surprising),” Burke said. “There’s over 65 different rules from college into the NFL. So just being able to get those down.”
To that end, Burke highlighted Garrett Williams, Budda Baker and Mack Wilson Sr. as three veterans who have helped to show him the ropes and ease the transition.
For linebacker Cody Simon, a fourth-round pick who played with Burke at Ohio State, the most surprising aspect of the transition has been how Gannon’s staff teaches players.
Linebacker Cody Simon during the Cardinals rookie minicamp at the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe on May 9, 2025.
“Everything is so detailed,” Simon said.
Perhaps that provides a window into why this all feels real now. Immediately after the draft, everything is new and exciting. There’s the draft night celebration, then a week or so for players to enjoy the moment with their families. They fly out to their new city and meet hundreds of new faces.
Now, the grind has begun to set in. The Cardinals rookies have been at work for seven straight days, with over a month of offseason workouts still to go. When the veterans get Fridays off, the rookies are at the facility working. When the veterans head off on vacation in mid-June, the rookies stay behind for an extra week. This is the job, without the pomp that surrounds draft week.
Defensive tackle Walter Nolen III during the Cardinals rookie minicamp at the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe on May 9,2025.
It’s one of the reasons so many players take a significant jump in their second seasons. They finally get time to breathe. As rookies, it’s straight from the college season into combine prep into team visits into offseason workouts into training camp into the season. Eighteen months, essentially without a break.
“I’m enjoying every bit of it,” Simon said. “It is a grind and it’s tough. But a lot of people don’t really get to experience this kind of stuff. I just want to appreciate every moment I get with it.”
Part of appreciating his new reality has come through rookie bonding. A week ago, he knew only Burke from their days at Ohio State. Now, Simon says, the rookies are “best buddies,” brought together by their long hours at the facility and leisure time away from work.
Arizona Cardinals rookie minicamp at the team's training center in Tempe on May 9,2025.
May 16 was one of those moments, even if it was organized by the team. All 14 members of the rookie class — draft picks and undrafted free agents — went to Adams Elementary School in Mesa, where they went through activities with the students. They played catch, worked with kids in the classroom and showed them various football drills.
It served as yet another reminder of what it means to be in the NFL.
“You get to make a difference in people’s lives and that’s the kind of job we’re in,” Simon said. “So I’m excited to keep doing that and keep making a difference.”
