5 days ago
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The Clayton Tune era began how it started for the Green Bay Packers: With a whimper.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Packers had cut Tune, the former fifth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Tune, who played college ball at Houston, completed 1-of-4 passes for eight yards and an interception when he was forced into action against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.
It was not a good debut.
Nonetheless, the Pack gave Tune a chance to start against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, but the results weren't any better. He didn't throw a touchdown, so credit to him. That said, he completed just 6-of-11 passes for 34 yards and no touchdowns.
Tune was sacked four times by Brian Flores' aggressive defense, but an argument could be made that his lack of anything resembling pocket presence or an internal clock were the reasons for those sacks.
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Simply put, he looked not even capable of being a backup quarterback in the NFL, let alone a starter.
It sounds harsh, but the Pack will be better without him in their system, even as a practice squad quarterback.
The corresponding move to releasing Tune was the activation of quarterback Desmond Ridder from the practice squad to the active roster.
There should be no expectation that Ridder will be the next Malik Willis in terms of a castaway quarterback whom Green Bay was able to rehab, but he at the very least has proven to be an NFL quarterback, unlike Tune.
Ridder was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round (pick No. 74) of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he's played in 25 games with 18 starts in his career.
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Ridder has thrown for 4,002 yards and 16 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He's also rushed for 293 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns.
He spent two seasons with the Falcons and then was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, where he ended up on the practice squad. The Las Vegas Raiders rostered him in 2024 and he played in six games, but he's been bouncing around the NFL since as a practice squad player and backup.
Green Bay is the third team he's been on this season, as he's also spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings.
Willis is expected to be available for Green Bay's wild card matchup with the Chicago Bears this weekend, so it is expected that Ridder will be QB3. With both Willis and starter Jordan Love dealing with injuries in the homestretch of the season, it does make sense for the Packers to at least have Ridder available for a "break glass in case of emergency" situation against the Bears.
Without a doubt, he's at least a better option than Tune.
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