Clayton Tune Injury News & Updates

The Packers signed Tune to the practice squad Thursday.

The Cardinals opted to go with two quarterbacks in Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett on the 53-man roster, making Tune the odd man out. Rather than stay in Arizona on the practice squad, Tune will instead head to Green Bay, where he would be in line to be elevated to the Packers' active roster were Jordan Love or Malik Willis miss any time.

The Cardinals waived Tune on Monday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Tune got plenty of run in Arizona's three preseason games, including playing all 56 offensive snaps this past Saturday against the Raiders. Overall, he completed 30 of 49 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown and one interception and rushed nine times for 53 yards. With Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett locked in to the top two spots on the QB depth chart, Tune lost out in the number games but is a candidate to be brought back on the team's practice squad.

Tune completed two of two passes for eight yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, recorded seven carries for minus-4 yards and lost his only fumble in six games during the 2024 regular season.

The majority of Tune's appearances in his second pro campaign occurred in kneel-down scenarios, as starting QB Kyler Murray handled 96.6 percent of the offensive snaps. A 2023 fifth-round pick, Tune has 23 passes without a touchdown and 15 rushes with a TD on his resume in 13 contests. With Murray entering the second year of the extension he signed in July 2022, Tune will continue to operate as the primary backup to the former in 2025.

Tune played three of the Cardinals' 57 snaps on offense in Monday's 17-15 win over the Chargers and carried three times for two yards.

Even though starting quarterback Kyler Murray didn't suffer an injury at any point in Monday's contest, Tune was summoned from the bench for his second appearance of the season. All three of his snaps came in 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and-1 situations, as the Cardinals likely thought that the sturdier built Tune (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) would have a better chance at pushing through a pile of bodies for a first down than the smaller Murray (5-foot-10, 207 pounds). Tune was able to extend a drive in the second quarter with a two-yard run on third down, but he was held to no gain on back-to-back carries on 3th-and-1 and 4th-and-1 in the third quarter to cede possession to the Chargers.

Tune is in line to begin the 2024 season as the Cardinals' No. 2 QB behind starter Kyler Murray, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

In the midst of roster cuts this week, Arizona waived Desmond Ridder on Tuesday before signing him to the practice squad one day later. The move left Murray and Tune as the only signal-callers on the active roster, indicating their respective standings among the group. Tune, a 2023 fifth-round pick, made seven appearances (one start) last season, completing 12 of 21 passes for 62 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, rushing eight times for 30 yards and one TD and fumbling twice (one lost).

Tune completed 12 of 18 passes for 119 yards and an interception in Sunday's 38-12 preseason loss to the Broncos.

The 2023 fifth-round pick got the start under center and while he was fairly efficient, Tune led the Cardinals to just one Matt Prater 50-yard field goal in his five first-half drives. Desmond Ridder took over to begin the third quarter but left the game late in the fourth after taking a hit, and he was placed in the concussion protocol. With Ridder's availability for Week 1 now in question, Tune could begin the season as Kyler Murray's backup.

Tune is slated to start Sunday's preseason finale against the Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With Kyler Murray not in line to see any exhibition action, Tune will get the starting nod Sunday and will be followed by Desmond Ridder. Tune and Ridder remain in contention to work as Murray's top backup, though Rapoport suggests that the Cardinals could elect to keep all three QB's on their initial 53-man roster.

Tune completed eight of his 10 pass attempts for 79 yards while rushing twice for 15 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Colts.

Tune started under center in place of Kyler Murray (coach's decision) and produced strong results for the second week in a row. The sophomore backup wound up scoring his team's only touchdown with his legs before turning the keys over to fellow backup Desmond Ritter in the second half. Tune outperformed the latter for the second week running, despite flipping roles (and strength of defenses) on both occasions. Perhaps Tune has made a case to leap the slightly more experienced Ritter in the competition for the No. 2 role in Arizona.

Tune completed 12 of 21 passes for 62 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions and had eight carries for 30 yards and one touchdown in seven games during the 2023 season.

In the lone start of his rookie season Week 9, the 2023 fifth-round pick led the Cardinals to their lowest offensive output (58 net yards) in any game of the campaign. In essence, Tune bridged the gap between Joshua Dobbs starting the first eight contests and Kyler Murray getting the rest of the nods after the latter completed his recovery from a torn ACL. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Tune got a handful of short-yardage reps in place of the smaller Murray in the second half of the year, but with Murray's five-year extension officially kicking in in 2024, the former is unlikely to be any higher than No. 2 on Arizona's QB depth chart next season.

Tune will return to a backup role Sunday against the Falcons after head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday that Kyler Murray (knee) will start in his season debut, SI.com reports.

Gannon had already hinted Monday that Murray was tracking toward the Week 10 start, but the Cardinals didn't make Murray's return to the lineup official until they had a chance to evaluate him in practices this week. With his surgically-repaired knee evidently checking out fine, Murray should remain atop the depth chart the rest of the way, even while the 1-8 Cardinals play out the string on a losing season. After Arizona traded Joshua Dobbs to Minnesota on Oct. 31, Tune stepped in to make his first NFL start Week 9 but struggled mightily in a 27-0 loss to the Browns, completing 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards and two interceptions while adding 28 yards on the ground and also losing a fumble.

Tune completed 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Cardinals' 27-0 loss to the Browns on Sunday. He also rushed five times for 28 yards and lost a fumble.

The results were about what was expected when throwing a rookie quarterback out for his first start against an aggressive Browns defense, with Tune often looking out of sorts while taking a whopping seven sacks. The 2023 fifth-round pick averaged just 2.9 yards per attempt and saw his first pick lead to a Cleveland touchdown and his second result in a field-goal attempt that was missed. Tune's stint under center is likely to be a one-and-done scenario, unless the Cardinals opt to let Kyler Murray's (knee) 21-day practice window close this upcoming week without activating him.

Tune will start Sunday against the Browns after the Cardinals did not activate Kyler Murray (knee) off the PUP list Saturday.

It seems as if the Cardinals are playing it safe with the status of their franchise quarterback as Murray could eventually start in Week 10 against the Falcons. As a result, Tune will make his first career start against the fearsome Browns defense Sunday. The rookie is considered an athletic prospect (4.64 40-yard dash) and was a multi-year starter in college, but he's a raw passer and didn't exactly light up the scoreboard in a few preseason opportunities. That the Cardinals opted to start Joshua Dobbs over Tune to begin the 2023 campaign despite the former's lack of reps in the offensive scheme is likely telling and doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the 24-year-old's fantasy prospects especially in a difficult matchup against Cleveland.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said Friday that he'll make a decision in the next 24 hours regarding who among Kyler Murray (knee) or Tune will start Sunday's game at Cleveland, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Murray has put together back-to-back weeks of full practices, but as opposed to last week when Arizona deemed him doubtful to play, he's listed as questionable this time around. The team must activate Murray from the reserve/PUP list by Saturday afternoon in order for him to have a chance for his first game action since tearing the ACL in his right knee Dec. 12 of last season. Gannon's decision likely will coincide with any transaction, but if Murray isn't cleared to play Sunday, Tune will be under center for the Cardinals. A rookie fifth-round pick, Tune has just one career pass attempt (a four-year completion Week 7 in Seattle) but was prolific in his final two years at Houston, totaling 7,620 yards and 70 touchdowns through the air in 27 games.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday that Tune or Kyler Murray (knee) will be the Cardinals' starting quarterback Sunday at Cleveland, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Following Sunday's 31-24 loss the Ravens, Gannon noted to Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com that Joshua Dobbs would be the team's starter again Week 9, but a video session of that contest has caused him to change his tune, per Urban. Tune is a rookie fifth-round pick and has made just one cameo this season Week 7 at Seattle in which he completed his only pass for four yards, but he was fairly prolific his final two campaigns at Houston, throwing for 7,610 yards and 70 touchdowns in 27 games. His chances to be Arizona's starting signal-caller Sunday are contingent on Murray gaining clearance to play following last season's torn ACL, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Monday that Tune likely will get the nod.

Tune took reps with second-team offense in warmups, confirming he'll serve as the backup to starting quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Sunday's season opener in Washington, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.

Though Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon never announced a Week 1 starter at quarterback, all signs pointed to Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston, beginning his career as Dobbs' understudy. Despite entering his seventh NFL season, Dobbs only has two career starts and eight appearances to his name, so he likely won't have much security atop the depth chart. As such, Tune could get the opportunity to play at some point this season, especially if Kyler Murray's (knee) return from the PUP list extends beyond the minimum four games.

Tune is in line to be the Cardinals' No. 2 quarterback during Sunday's season opener in Washington, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

If Rapoport's report is accurate, newcomer Joshua Dobbs will get the first opportunity to lead Arizona's offense for the recovering Kyler Murray, who is continuing his recovery from a torn ACL on the reserve/PUP list. Dobbs joined the team on Aug. 24 via trade with the Browns, and despite the lack of time to acclimate to the Cardinals offense, he seems as if he'll be operating ahead of Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick. With Murray out for at least the first four games, though, Tune could make his pro debut at some point if Dobbs struggles or needs to miss time for any reason.

Tune and Joshua Dobbs are Arizona's top options to start Week 1 versus the Commanders following the team's release of Colt McCoy, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick, may be likelier to open the season as Dobbs' backup, though he has benefited from extensive preseason reps. McCoy's release coincides with the news that Kyler Murray (knee) is expected to begin the regular season on the PUP list, meaning for at least the first four weeks of the year the Cardinals will need either Dobbs or Tune, if not a combination of the two, to hold down the fort under center. The team also has David Blough and Jeff Driskel (calf) on the roster, although further cuts could be forthcoming.

Tune completed nine of 12 passes for 85 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions during Saturday's 18-17 preseason win at Minnesota.

Tune had a rocky start, losing a fumble on his first dropback that the Vikings turned into a touchdown one play later, but he settled in nicely thereafter, leading three more drives that ended in a successful field goal, a punt and a missed FGA. Prior to the Cardinals trading for Joshua Dobbs this week, Tune seemingly was in the mix with veteran Colt McCoy to be the team's Week 1 starting quarterback due to Kyler Murray's ongoing recovery from a torn ACL suffered last December. After Saturday's contest, coach Jonathan Gannon wouldn't commit to any of McCoy, Dobbs or Tune as the starter in the opener, per Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic, so the situation bears watching with cut-down day and its aftermath on the horizon.

Tune was 12-for-24 passing for 133 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed six times for 35 yards during Saturday's 38-10 preseason defeat to the Chiefs.

After Colt McCoy handled the Cardinals' first three drives of the contest, Tune took over the offense and logged almost two full quarters of work before yielding to David Blough. The current breakdown of Arizona's QB room is a result of Kyler Murray's ongoing recovery from last December's torn ACL and Jeff Driskel sitting out with a calf strain. Tune hasn't exactly been accurate (53.2 percent) or productive (5.7 yards per attempt) through two exhibitions, but the rookie fifth-rounder seems poised to be the team's No. 2 signal-caller behind McCoy until Murray is healthy enough to suit up.

Tune completed 13 of 23 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Friday's 18-17 preseason win versus the Broncos.

After Colt McCoy got the first chance to lead the Cardinals offense in place of the recovering Kyler Murray (knee), Tune entered on the team's second possession and took the next eight drives, including a kneel down right before halftime. Tune finally got Arizona on the board with back-to-back scores (a field goal and a TD connection with WR Kaden Davis) on his last two possessions. Tune likely will continue to get extended run during exhibition season, with his next opportunity coming Saturday, Aug. 19 against the Chiefs.

Tune ran Arizona's second-team offense in Thursday's practice after Colt McCoy worked with the first team, Jess Root of USA Today Cards Wire reports.

With Kyler Murray's (knee) return timetable uncertain, Tune could be poised to open his NFL career as the backup to McCoy. The rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston will need to hold off David Blough and Jeff Driskel in the competition to claim the third spot on the quarterback depth chart behind Murray and McCoy.

The Cardinals selected Tune in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 139th overall.

Tune (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) isn't the most natural passer but he steadily improved each year at Houston and by the end of his career there he was one of the most formidable quarterbacks in the country, throwing for 40 touchdowns and running for five more in 2022. Tune has a prototypical frame for a starter and boasts plus athleticism at the very least after running a 4.64-second 40 and logging explosive jumps (37.5-inch vertical, 122-inch broad jump) at the combine. If Tune can keep building his passing skills then he could have a surprisingly good shot at emerging as a starter in the distant future.

The Cardinals selected Tune in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 139th overall.

Tune (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) isn't the most natural passer but he steadily improved each year at Houston and by the end of his career there he was one of the most formidable quarterbacks in the country, throwing for 40 touchdowns and running for five more in 2022. Tune has a prototypical frame for a starter and boasts plus athleticism at the very least after running a 4.64-second 40 and logging explosive jumps (37.5-inch vertical, 122-inch broad jump) at the combine. If Tune can keep building his passing skills then he could have a surprisingly good shot at emerging as a starter in the distant future.