At Liberty Memorial Stadium in Memphis TN, Clayton Tune and his Houston Cougars were down 19 points with just over three minutes to play. Tune, who had an incredible run in Houston, did what he does best: win. The Cougars would score three late touchdowns, including one in the final 30 seconds to beat Memphis 33-32. The senior quarterback would have a spectacular finish to his day. He would complete 36 passes on 57 attempts for 366 yards and three touchdowns. For his collegiate career, Tune would have 4,074 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. So, why not give this Cardinals rookie quarterback a shot?
Rookie Clayton Tune is expected to start for the Cardinals Sunday against Cleveland, per @RapSheet
Kyler Murray "may still play' as well but 'next week is more likely" pic.twitter.com/tVz9D7oHTP
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 30, 2023
All indications are Clayton Tune starts on Sunday. However, Gannon is coy about who actually will be taking snaps in Cleveland. This is a repeat of what we saw in Week 1 as the team ramped up for Washington. It is a tactic that offers no surprise and only makes Arizona’s first-year coach look like an amateur.
Seriously, no real need for Kyler Murray to be rushed back exists. The competitor in him wants to be back on the field as soon as Sunday against the Browns. For fans who think they will see a vintage Murray think again. What fans will see is a player who has been out with an ACL injury.
The reality is this is a struggle for the Cardinals brain trust. If there is serious consideration to keep and build around Murray, then the rush to play him should not exist. In fact, Arizona should be content to keep him on the sideline and make the decision to wait another month before even considering such a decision.
Conversely, if they are contemplating a trade this offseason, then yes, you’d want to show he is still able to play at a relatively high level. The problem is, Gannon and Ossenfort don’t seem to know what direction they want to go. Keep Kyler, trade Kyler is a topic everyone knows exists but does not want to talk about. As of Friday, Murray was listed as questionable.
Kyler is listed as questionable this Sunday vs the Browns.
Will he make his return this week? pic.twitter.com/wHrPmjWX6Q
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 3, 2023
Why Not Give Clayton Tune A Shot?
If (and it is a big IF) Tune plays on Sunday at Cleveland, it has an opportunity to be something of a watershed event. Tune succeeding is something the Cardinals need to have happen. Gannon cannot keep returning to the drawing board to see what else he can come up with. The fans in Glendale have been waiting a long time for the Kyler Murray Experience to pay off. It didn’t happen with Kingsbury, and no one knows if it can with Gannon. Tune is the best chance for a bridge to “what’s next”? “What’s next” can be Tune playing well and keeping Murray on the bench, at least for November.
For the record, Tune doesn’t need to win Sunday, he just has to play better than Josh Dobbs. If he can help bag a few wins along the way, his play and potential success buy the Cardinals time with a modicum of respect.
This season has nine games to go before it becomes a wrap. If there are wins to pick up, it happens in November. With two games at home (Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams) and two on the road (Cleveland and Houston Texans), a decent opportunity to see what Clayton Tune can do exists. Ultimately, he may play well enough to make fans wonder why we even had Dobbs at quarterback in the first place.
Main Photo: Matt Kartozian – USA Today Sports
