If you’ve never heard of the guy who leads the NFL in sacks through the first week of the preseason, congratulations. That probably means you have better things to do with your life than watch the second half of preseason games.
But if you do watch a lot of preseason football, you probably have heard of Cap Capi, who had an NFL-leading three sacks in the Cardinals’ preseason opener against the Chargers. Capi shining in the preseason is no surprise, because he does it every year.
Last year Capi was all over the field in the preseason for the Cardinals, and it was a surprise when he was cut just before the start of the regular season. In 2016, Capi played in four preseason games for the Falcons and recorded 1.5 sacks. In 2015, Capi played in four preseason games as an undrafted rookie for the Jaguars and totaled three sacks.
Despite those impressive performances, Capi has been released at the end of all three of his previous preseasons. He has played in eight career regular-season games, four with the Bills and four with the Giants, but he caught on with those teams only in mid-season after being cut elsewhere.
This year Capi spent the offseason without an NFL home, but the Cardinals finally picked him up two weeks ago. Despite having very little practice time, he shined in the preseason debut.
“I always have a good preseason, but always end up falling short of the 53-[player roster],” Capi said. “I’m hoping this year can be a little different.”
Capi said he’s hoping that eventually, some team that has seen what he can do during his brief stops around the league will keep him around for more than four games at a time.
“Every team I go to, I always try to leave a good impression, because you never know when that call will come,” Capi said. “What do they say, never leave a door closed? I never try to do that. I was not surprised when I got the call back.”
Seeing Capi’s years of hard work in the summer finally pay off in the fall would be a great NFL story.
