Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon left things up in the air on Friday as to when he'd decide between Kyler Murray or Clayton Tune starting against the Browns.
Just ahead of Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to activate players for any Week 9 Sunday matchups, we received our answer.
Arizona would not activate quarterback Murray off the physically unable to perform list, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, allowing him another week to reach full health. After the deadline, the team announced it had elevated Jeff Driskel instead, who will serve as a backup in Tune's first-ever start.
Murray tore his ACL back in Week 14 of 2022 during a down season with 2,368 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions, an 87.2 passer rating and a 3-8 record as a starter.
Placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp, he's ramped up his participation as of late, practicing fully for the past two weeks. He also earned a questionable designation Friday following a doubtful one ahead of Arizona's Week 8 loss to the Ravens.
The Cardinals sit at 1-7 and don't need to rush Murray's return, even if they'd like to see enough out of the fifth-year pro to help evaluate his future with the club under a new regime.
There will be time for that, and his continued progress suggests it'll be sooner rather than later.
For this week, however, Tune takes over after the club demoted and then traded QB Joshua Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings.
The fifth-round rookie showed promise and poise during the preseason, but he'll be up against it facing down the Browns on Sunday. Cleveland boasts the NFL's top-ranked defense in yards allowed and a 12th-ranked scoring unit, with a pass rush led by defensive tackle Myles Garrett built to make life impossible for the inexperienced under center.
Tune and the Cardinals will undergo that challenge against the Browns at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and Murray will continue on the mend until he can re-enter the starting lineup.
