The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Cardinals will start Clayton Tune at quarterback in their preseason finale.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Some preseason QB news: In the battle for No. 2 QB behind starter Kyler Murray, #AZCardinals will start Clayton Tune in the preseason finale vs the #Broncos, with Desmond Ridder to come in after that.
It’s possible, though, that the Cards keep all 3 QBs on the 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/8oXc3cbzP9
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2024
This comes as no surprise, as Tune has outplayed Desmond Ridder in the preseason. In both preseason games, Tune was listed as a winner twice this preseason after a solid second half vs. the Saints in the first week and a decent first half against the Colts. In two games, he’s completed 23 of 34 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. In his 10 drives under center, the Cardinals have scored 24 points.
On the other hand, Ridder has not seized the opportunity in the preseason. He’s completed 10 of 19 passes for 114 yards. In his 10 drives under center, the Cardinals have just scored three points. That came on his first drive against the Colts. The two most defining plays of his preseason were missed reads and throws on the Cardinals’ final drive in the first half against the Saints.
Both quarterbacks are competing to the backup spot behind Kyler Murray. Tune is in his second year with the Cardinals after getting selected in the 6th round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Houston while Ridder was an offseason trade acquisition with the Atlanta Falcons for receiver Rondale Moore. Rapoport didn’t dismiss the possibility that both quarterbacks will make the initial 53 roster.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
