06 September 2023 , 22:59
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New Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon had been looking to keep his starting quarterback a secret until the opening game of the season, but it has been reported that Josh Dobbs will start.
NFL Network has revealed that Dobbs will start over rookie Clayton Tune. Gannon had stated that he had no intention of announcing who would start, before the news somewhat embarrassingly emerging just minutes later.
The Cardinals are set to be without their franchise quarterback Kyler Murray as he recovers from his ACL surgery, with the team being projected to struggle this season. And it appears that Dobbs will be the man to replace Murray until he returns, winning the job over the fifth-round rookie from Houston.
Dobbs had worked with new Cardinals coordinator Drew Petzing, after his time with the Cleveland Browns last season. While Dobbs has been named the starter though, it appears the situation will be fluid with the two being evaluated every week.
Tune had an impressive career in college, throwing 104 touchdowns to 41 interceptions in his 44 starts. The news being leaked is likely to anger Gannon, who told reporters minutes before being reported stating: "I ain't telling you anything (about who is starting)."
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The Cardinals surprisingly waived Colt McCoy last week, who had been one of the best backups in the NFL in recent years, and was set to take over as the team's starter with Murray out. After moving on from McCoy, they traded for Dobbs - a NFL journeyman on his sixth team in seven years.
Joshua Dobbs will start week oneGannon said: "I trust our guys. Media's the media. That's your guys' job, I understand that, but we're gonna do what's best for our football team as we see fit and try to execute that."
The Cardinals' campaign will then kick off on Sept. 10 against the Washington Commanders, followed by a visit from the New York Giants.
Week two's game against the Giants will see Gannon come face-to-face with safety Isaiah Simmons, who they controversially traded for a seventh-round draft pick in 2024.
Gannon was short in his reasoning for trading Simmons, a former top-10 pick, stating: “Isaiah did everything we asked of him. Moving forward, this is the best way we want to play football against other people."