Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray remains the face of the franchise, but surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered late last season will likely cost Murray multiple games in 2023. While Colt McCoy has long been viewed as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback for Week 1, it appears Clayton Tune has entered the mix.
Tune was the 139th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, taken out of Houston. Coming off a career-best season with the Cougars, the Cardinals’ rookie quarterback has already made a strong impression on his new coaching staff in Arizona.
- Clayton Tune stats (2022): 4,074 passing yards, 40-10 TD-INT, 158.9 QB rating, 67.3 percent completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt in 13 games
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Tune, age 24, was very productive at Houston. The Texas native earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2022 and combined for 70 passing touchdowns with a 158 quarterback rating and completed over 67 percent of his 916 pass attempts in his final two years with the Cougars.
Standing at 6-foot-2, Tune offered NFL teams an experienced starter with great intangibles, a high football IQ and some NFL-ready tools. However, he slipped in the 2023 NFL Draft due to his lack of high-end physical skills, including limited athleticism and arm strength.
However, Arizona needs quarterback options in 2023. Murray is without a timeline to return and even the best-case scenario likely won’t see him on the field in September. While Colt McCoy is the presumed starter for the Cardinals’ offense, it appears Tune has a legitimate chance to start an NFL game this fall.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com wrote after attending the Cardinals’ training camp that Tune has a legitimate shot at starting games this upcoming season. While Arizona wants to see how the rookie performs in the preseason, quality production could lead to him starting multiple games during the regular season.
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Starting NFL games as a rookie is exceptionally rare for quarterbacks drafted on Day 3, but Tune’s chances of accomplishing it are likely tied to Arizona’s intentions this season and Murray’s recovery from ACL surgery.
The Cardinals won’t rush Murray back into action until he’s fully ready, both cleared physically by the medical staff and mentally confident enough in his surgically-repaired knee to move and cut on it. Because Arizona is rebuilding, Murray’s return could be delayed and starting Tune could have more long-term upside for Arizona than rolling with a veteran like McCoy.
