The Green Bay Packers and their fans got an up-close look at quarterback Clayton Tune, who was elevated from the practice squad, in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers gave Tune the start as Malik Willis was banged up with a right shoulder and hamstring injury.
This was the perfect opportunity for Tune to make his second career start and possibly make a strong impression on the Packers’ coaching staff, as they could be looking for a new backup QB with rumors swirling about Willis’ free agency.
That said, Tune did not rise to the occasion against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit. The third-year QB looked out of sorts and could not move the Packers’ offense, which is alarming, given that he had a week of practice. As a team, the Packers only mustered three points and 121 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Tune completed 6-of-11 passes for 34 yards and was sacked four times. He added 23 yards on the ground, but that didn't matter much in the grand scheme.
If you’re Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, you might want to have your eye on the free agent QB class this offseason, as Tune showed that he’s clearly not the answer for 2026.
Door Just Slammed Shut on Clayton Tune's Possible Packers Future
Most Packers fans likely didn’t have any huge expectations for Tune heading into the regular season finale. If anything, they wanted to see if Matthew Golden could make some plays, and if the rookie pass rushers (Collin Oliver and Barryn Sorrell) could make some noise.
Tune and his performance were one of the last things on their minds. However, his performance, or lack thereof, on Sunday afternoon quickly vaulted him to the top of the list. Tune showed that he needs more development and reps, but that might not come in Green Bay.
The Packers picked up Tune at the end of the preseason in August after the Arizona Cardinals cut him. Green Bay wasn’t exactly pleased with Sean Clifford or Taylor Elgersma, so they went with Tune to be their developmental QB3 on the practice squad.
On paper, the idea of Tune being a developmental option sounded okay, especially seeing what Matt LaFleur was able to do with Willis. However, as one Packers fan pointed out on Sunday, that Tune isn’t worth keeping as a developmental guy.
At least with Willis, we saw quick growth last season, which has continued into this season, making him one of the top backup QBs in the NFL.
Now, Green Bay could bring Tune back on a futures deal after the playoffs are over to provide depth heading into the offseason and allow him to compete for a roster spot. But the Packers could also not extend Tune a futures deal, as they also have Desmond Ridder on the practice squad. Ridder has a much better shot at being a QB2 in Green Bay than Tune, as he has 25 games of NFL experience under his belt.
That being said, even if Ridder isn’t considered the ideal QB2 for Green Bay, he’s a better QB3 than Tune. As we get closer to the offseason, it will be interesting to see what Green Bay does at QB to back up Jordan Love. We know Willis will likely be out the door, and we also know for sure that Tune isn’t the answer either.