Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon vowed not to publicly name his starting quarterback for Week 1’s game against the Washington Commanders. Gannon said he wanted to hold a “competitive advantage” against Washington.
The options are between journeyman backup Joshua Dobbs and rookie Clayton Tune after Arizona released veteran Colt McCoy last week. The Cardinals traded for Dobbs two weeks ago, acquiring him from the Cleveland Browns. Arizona selected Tune in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Arizona’s star quarterback Kyler Murray will start the season on the physically unable-to-perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered last December.
Gannon remains steadfast in holding his word, so much so that the Cardinals are going to great lengths to withhold announcing its starting quarterback.
The Cardinals didn’t list Tune or Dobbs for Wednesday’s media availability, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. Usually, NFL teams make the starting quarterback available for a presser.
Then, the Cardinals released its unofficial Week 1 depth chart. The depth chart reads at quarterback “Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune.”
Cardinals won’t even say if Dobbs and Tune are sharing practice reps
Meanwhile, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing wouldn’t even say if Dobbs and Tune shared reps during Tuesday’s practice.
After being asked about the Cardinals’ tactics not to reveal a starting quarterback, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera smiled, “I wouldn’t either,” per The Athletic’s Ben Standig.
What’s even more bizarre is Arizona named Murray a team captain. Murray won’t play for at least the first four games of the season. Appointing an injured Murray captain adds to the puzzling actions of the Cardinals franchise.
The Cardinals have been under a microscope recently. Gannon’s speech to his team about who’s taking the bus is another aspect added to the pot.
Whoever starts under center, the Cardinals are a heavy underdog against the Commanders.
With Murray sidelined, the Cardinals aren’t considered a threat for opposing teams. Some of the roster decisions in Gannon’s first year have Fans and pundits accusing Arizona of tanking to get the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
