Calais Campbell has already intimated this – his 18^th NFL season -- could be his last. So when the veteran defensive lineman was asked by a local reporter here in Denver after practice Thursday if he would give thought to finishing his career with his hometown Broncos, Campbell gave a knowing chuckle.

He had considered being a Bronco before (the Broncos were the other team, other than the Cardinals and the Jaguars, who courted Campbell in 2017 before Campbell left Arizona for Jacksonville). But it never worked out, and when he was asked if this will be his last season, Campbell said "I will be very surprised if it's not."

That's a door left open though. When someone followed up with when and how Campbell came to that decision, Calais again gave a hearty chuckle, noting he hasn't really decided anything. "It's kind of nature," Campbell said, a nod to his 38-year-oldness.

But he also said he felt this time last year the same thing. He won't predict the future. "I feel I would cheat the game if I look forward."

The joint practice had good and bad with it for the Cardinals; the Broncos are currently and expected to return to being a playoff team. But it was a good time for Campbell, who reveled in being in his hometown.

He had a funny moment with Peyton Manning, who remains close with the Broncos organization. A few of Campbell's younger teammates marveled at Manning's appearance, so Campbell brought them over during a break for an introduction.

The topic of Manning's tackle of Campbell at the 5-yard line after a Campbell interception in a 2014 meeting was broached.

"What really hurt my feeling was I brought it up to him and he said 'I was just telling (the guy next to me) that,'" Campbell said. "Hey, great play by him. I tell everyone Peyton Manning could have been an all-pro linebacker. No one knows."

-- Coach Jonathan Gannon, speaking before practice, said the workout Thursday would impact "a good amount" his decision whether starters would play Saturday against the Broncos. Broncos coach Sean Payton told Denver reporters after practice that neither team was going to use their starters.

-- Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson has some knee soreness and was held out, but he is "doing well," Gannon said.

-- Gannon also said rookie defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, who is on the PUP list with a calf injury, is progressing. "He hasn't had, I don't want to use the word setback, but he hasn't had any setbacks," Gannon said.

-- The Arizona Diamondbacks are in town for a four-game series against the Rockies, so manager Torey Lovullo decided to come out to practice, chat with GM Monti Ossenfort and briefly met with Kyler Murray afterward.

"I love the overlap with the teams and organizations," Lovullo said. "J.G. is the best."

Lovullo said he's played golf with Gannon previously and "for nine of the holes that's all we were talking about, culture, how to relate to players, how to build a team."

-- Trey McBride mentioned multiple times about how practice "is never as good as you think or as bad as you think" and that's a fair way to approach the Denver work. Along those lines, a few of the things I noticed:

• The very first 11-on-11 rep for the first-team offense (and it was the offense against the Denver defense I focused upon) was a nice play-action pass for a big gain to McBride. McBride was a monster the entire day.
• It took a long time for Marvin Harrison Jr. to be part of things in 11-on-11, thanks to the Broncos' excellent defense. But in the next-to-last 11-on-11 drive, Murray followed a "sack" by going over the top to MHJ for about 20 yards and then, after a short running play, had another sharp first-down throw to Harrison.
• Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. said he thought the run defense held up but that there were "some things to clean up" with the pass defense, and from my vantage point that seems about right. Bo Nix was finding his receivers.
• Trey Benson had one play where he was going down and, using one hand to the ground and some amazing balance, never really slowed. He has looked every bit like the guy who should break out in Year 2.
• There was no live tackling. But at one point Broncos safety JL Skinner plowed into running back Emari Demercado at the end of a play and James Conner, on the sideline and helmet off, ran up barking at Skinner about the hit.
• The only thing close to a fight was a brief special teams dust-up that never progressed into anything more serious than a crowd of dudes. Not surprising given that the hardest hitting of the day was coming on special teams. The Cardinals I noticed in it: DeeJay Dallas, Tip Reiman, Elijah Higgins.
• Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph knows Murray well. So does newly-well-paid defensive lineman Zach Allen, who is a Denver star these days after his early time in Arizona. In the final two-minute drill of the workout, the Cardinals did not go far, in part because on one of the early downs Allen came around on a stunt and appeared right in front of Murray for what would have been a sack. Allen gave Murray a hug as the "sack," K1 was not thrilled with the result (or the result of the series, for that matter.)

That's all for now. Game against the Broncos on Saturday.