With Kyler Murray out until at least October as he recovers from knee surgery, the Cardinals will begin the season with either Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune under center. The team presumably knows which one will start but head coach Jonathan Gannon is keeping it to himself.
“Guys, I ain’t telling you anything,” Gannon told reporters Wednesday.
It has since been reported that Dobbs is likeliest to start, as he has in-game experience and is currently listed atop the depth chart. Tune, a rookie out of the University of Houston, would serve as his backup in this case. Until one of them steps on to the field, however, or the team confirms the starter in the meantime, these roles could easily be reversed.
Because neither quarterback is allowed to name themselves as the starter, both made statements which alluded to a potential start without divulging details. Tune spoke about his progress in the offseason and his willingness to assist the team as needed.
“I feel confident in my abilities and the progression that I’ve made through camp,” Tune said. “I’m confident in the guys around me to make plays and I feel good about it. “If I were to go in, I feel like I’d feel comfortable and feel ready to go.”
Dobbs, the former Tennessee Titans backup who briefly filled in for Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis last season, also said that he was ready and would maintain a patient approach as the season wears on.
“So, there’s plenty of time, man,” Dobbs said. “This is my life, football. So, we have plenty of time to lock in on the game plan, hone down those details, work out any kinks and nuances and get ready to play.”
With a low-profile quarterback battle set to go down to the wire, the Cardinals are almost unanimously projected to be the worst team in the NFL this season. A season after firing former head coach Kliff Kingsbury and losing Murray to injury and DeAndre Hopkins to free agency, Arizona simply doesn’t seem prepared to compete with most teams in the league.
In addition to not announcing the team’s Week 1 quarterback, Gannon also provided an update on Murray’s health at Wednesday’s press conference. He did not provide a timetable for his return.
“I’m not a doctor so the timetable and stuff, I don’t know about all of that,” Gannon said. “I know this: He progresses every day. He’s getting a little better every day. That’s not to say there’s not good days and bad days going through that type of injury because he definitely has those. He has been all in. … He’s progressing every day. Every day he makes a little jump in his health and that’s good to see because he’s made a lot of sacrifices since I’ve known him to get to the point he’s at right now.”
