Clayton Tune’s shot at starting Week 1 in Kyler Murray’s place explained by Cardinals coaches

September 6th, 9:30amSeptember 6th, 9:30am

Sam DiGiovanniSam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.

NFL

The Arizona Cardinals are in the process of deciding who the starting quarterback will be until Kyler Murray can return from his ACL rehab. The two-man race includes Josh Dobbs, a journeyman who was acquired just a few weeks before the season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie drafted in the fifth round out of Houston.

Murray will eventually return this season, though his range of return dates has yet to be determined, so winning the starting job can boost either player’s career in a big way. If Tune wins the job, he would be the lowest-drafted rookie quarterback to start a season opener in 46 years, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Randy Hedberg of the 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers was drafted in the eighth round and lost all four of his starts that season, the only one of his career — not exactly a piece of history that inspires confidence.

However, if the Cardinals do choose Tune, they believe they’ll have a rookie with a veteran attitude leading the way. Head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing like what they have seen from Tune, per ESPN.

“He’s brutally honest,” Gannon said, via ESPN. “He says, ‘Yeah, I messed that one up,’ you know what I mean? And that happens. It’s good. Let’s learn from it and keep going. But I like that he plays fast. He has command when he walks into the huddle. You see the arm talent. So, he’s got a long way to go, just like everybody does, but he’s doing a good job.”

Gannon also complimented Tune’s arm, which he used to throw 70 touchdowns over his last two collegiate seasons.

“The way he’s kind of committed himself to learning the offense, understanding the NFL game, doing things the way that we need that position to do them, it’s been really fun to watch,” Petzing said, via ESPN. “His growth has been tremendous. Really excited about where he’s at.”

Petzing added that Tune has been good about both getting his reps in and learning from others. The Cardinals had another veteran QB, Colt McCoy on the roster throughout the offseason before he was shockingly released.

The Cardinals are keeping their season-opening starter under wraps leading up to their Week 1 game against the Washington Commanders. Clayton Tune has a strong chance of being the starter to kick off the 2023 campaign.

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