Report: Josh Dobbs expected to start at quarterback for Cardinals vs. Commanders

Josh Dobbs, who joined the Arizona Cardinals via trade less than three weeks before Week 1, will start at quarterback against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The starter will be evaluated each week, adds Rapoport, with rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune taking backup reps for the first week.

“I’m not going to name a starter because I think it’s a competitive advantage for us going to Washington but we’ll know who the starter is,” Gannon told reporters last week after the team surprisingly cut veteran quarterback Colt McCoy.

Gannon kept his mouth shut about the decision, despite telling Arizona Sports‘ Burns & Gambo Tuesday and reporters Wednesday that he had made a decision on the starter.

With starting quarterback Kyler Murray rehabbing from an ACL tear and on the physically unable to perform list, it appeared that McCoy was an option to open the year as starter after he competed with Tune, David Blough and Jeff Driskel throughout training camp and the preseason.

McCoy was set to enter his 13th NFL season with a career passing percentage of 62.6%. In his two years with Arizona, the signal caller posted a 3-3 mark as a starter to go along with 1,520 passing yards and four touchdowns on a 71% completion rate.

But the trade to acquire Dobbs from the Cleveland Browns indicated the quarterbacks room would be seeing a shakeup. Dobbs was acquired for a fifth-round pick.

The QB has just two starts and eight total games played under his belt but has built-in familiarity with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork from their time together in Cleveland last year.

He also knows general manager Monti Ossenfort from his time with the Tennessee Titans late last season.

For his career, Dobbs is a 58.8% passer with 456 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions.

Tune meanwhile looks to continue his progression as an NFL quarterback.

The 2023 fifth-round pick got an extended look in preseason action and worked mostly with the second team all training camp, in addition to some run with the first team.

In his final exhibition showing, he completed 9 of 12 passes for 85 yards.

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