The Arizona Cardinals have a rookie as their backup quarterback. In many case, that isn’t ideal unless he is being groomed behind a veteran to become a starter.
With Clayton Tune, a fifth-round rookie, that is not the case. He is simply a young quarterback behind Kyler Murray.
Prior to this year, the Cardinals have opted for experience with Colt McCoy and Brett Hundley.
Some would question having such an inexperienced player behind a player like Murray.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Tune has the traits to make an ideal quarterback.
“We have that guy on our team right now,” he told reporters Monday, speaking of Tune. “I would say what jumps out to me is his brain, because when you’re one play away from going in the game and taking minimal rep— really game plan specific reps with four days— you’ve got to be pretty in tune to do that. That’s probably what I would say because those guys don’t get a lot of reps and then to jump in the game and play winning football for you, that’s hard to do. There’s not a lot of positions that—and you have to have them all that do that, but at that position specifically talking to the quarterback, there’s so much on his plate mentally and physically to be able to operate in a level that you can win a game with is hard.”
Tune’s one start this season was bad. It was a 27-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns. He had only 58 passing yards and two picks.
What will be telling is what happens in the offseason. If they really see him as an ideal backup, the Cardinals will not pursue a veteran backup in the offseason.
Are these just words to talk up the backup they have or will their actions back them up?
We will see in the offseason.
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