Report: Arizona Cardinals expected to start Josh Dobbs at quarterback

According to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals have selected a starting quarterback for Week 1.

On Wednesday afternoon, Rapoport tweeted out that former Tennessee star Josh Dobbs is likely to get the starting nod over former Houston standout Clayton Tune in the first game of the season. Here was that report:

“Sources: The #AZCardinals are expected have Josh Dobbs as their starting QB this week, with rookie Clayton Tune getting backup reps. They’ll evaluate the situation each week, but this is how it begins.”

Arizona opens up the season against fellow NFC foe Washington this weekend in a Sunday game that kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. out west, since it is hosted by the Commanders.

More on Tune, Dobbs

Tune is hot off a stellar college career with Houston. He spent five years with the Cougars and steadily improved each season. He threw for just under 800 yards as a rookie in five appearances, then roughly doubled that figure to 1,533 as a sophomore in seven total games.

As a junior, he played in eight and threw for 2,000. In year No. 4, he was the full-time starter all season long, passing for 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. He added a 4 to each of those figures in his final season last fall to throw for 4,074 yards and 40 touchdowns.

After such a prolific career, Tune was a late-round draft choice, as the Cardinals scooped him up in the fifth round with the 139th overall pick. Now, he could wind up starting on day one as a rookie.

Meanwhile, Josh Dobbs continues his lengthy career as an NFL backup and finally has a shot to be a starter for a few weeks if he does win this job. Since leaving Tennessee after the 2016 season, Dobbs has consistently found homes but rarely stuck.

He was with Pittsburgh for the longest time, the team that drafted him in the fourth round. But after appearing in just six games through five years, he moved on to Cleveland to begin the season last fall. However, once Deshaun Watson returned and Jacoby Brissett was relegated to second-team, Dobbs was waived in November.

After a stint on the Lions practice squad, he landed in Tennessee, where a brutal QB situation allowed him to step in and start the final two games of the season. Now, he finds yet another new home in Arizona, where he’ll reportedly get the opportunity to start once again.