The first game of the preseason for the New Orleans Saints is coming up shortly, as they look to take on the Arizona Cardinals at 7 p.m. CT. They have traveled across the country to play at State Farm Stadium, and will match up against a team they have not played since Oct. 20, 2022.

The Saints and Cardinals have quite a few overlapping players and coaches who played/worked for both teams at one point or another. Each team has two current players who have played for the opposite team as well, as well as some Arizona born Saints and one coach working for both teams as well.

Let's take a look at each of these individuals:

Saints S Tyrann Mathieu

While his Kansas City Chiefs years may be the most notable of his career in many peoples' viewpoints, Tyrann Mathieu was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals back in 2013 in the third round at pick 69. He would go on to play five seasons with the Cardinals from 2013-2017, before moving on to the Houston Texans for 2018, the Chiefs for 2019-2021, and now the Saints. He would receive one Pro Bowl nod and one All-Pro first team selection there out of his three of each total.

Saints DT Kendal Vickers

Kendal Vickers is the other current Saint who played for the Cardinals, as he looks to suit up for his sixth NFL season. He has previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Edmonton Eskimos (CFL), Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals most recently as part of their practice squad. He ended up not receiving a reserve/future contract after the 2023 season, so he became a free agent, signing with the Saints on May 13.

Cardinals P Blake Gillikin

Blake Gillikin was the Saints punter for a decent period of time, signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He missed the 2020 season due to going on injured reserve, however when Thomas Morstead was released in 2021, Gillikin took over for the entire season, and retained the job through 2022. He ultimately did not receive a qualifying offer from the Saints, being replaced by Lou Hedley, and was able to find a new job with the Arizona Cardinals for 2023 and beyond.

Cardinals RB Tony Jones Jr.

Tony Jones Jr. was a Saints undrafted free agent pickup in 2020 as well, signing and being moved to the practice squad to start his career. He was elevated in early 2021, and then would make the 53 man roster for the following 2021-2022 season. Ultimately, he had a decent stint with the Saints, racking up 163 rushing yards on 59 attempts before being waived in 2022. He would eventually return, playing with the Saints in late 2023, however was released eventually and claimed off waivers by the Cardinals, where he would sign a reserve/futures contract.

Saints DE Cameron Jordan - Arizona native

Saints legendary DE Cameron Jordan is an Arizona native, being born in Chandler, Arizona and attending Chandler High School before moving on to California for college. He often mentions his fandom of the Phoenix Suns (alongside the New Orleans Pelicans) as well as the Arizona Diamondbacks. With a current career stretching 13 seasons, and a 14th upcoming, the Arizona born Jordan has been an absolutely elite pass rusher for the Saints over the years.

Saints QB Spencer Rattler - Arizona native

Recent Saints draft pick Spencer Rattler is also a native of Arizona, as he was born in Phoenix, and went to high school at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix as well. It was there that he won Arizona Cardinals High School Player of the Week in 2017, awarded by the team as, "recognition of an outstanding performance, and dedication to the game of football" by head coach Bruce Arians, team President Michael Bidwill, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Saints DB Coach Marcus Robertson

Finally, we have the New Orleans Saints' defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson, who was with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-2022 as a defensive backs coach as well, before moving on to the Saints in 2023 through now.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 7 roster connections between the Saints, Cardinals in preseason