Clayton Tune Takes Early Lead in Cardinals QB Race

The Arizona Cardinals saw Clayton Tune take a step up in their first taste of preseason action.

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (15) throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- We are one preseason game down for the Arizona Cardinals, and there was quite a bit we learned from the team.

One of the most pressing questions that has lingered all summer has been what the quarterback situation will look like behind Kyler Murray. There have been two candidates for the job, Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune, and they’re likely battling for a roster spot if the Cards decide not to keep three QBs for the upcoming season.

Jonathan Gannon and the Cardinals gave both quarterbacks ample playing time in the team’s first exhibition game, and the results were mixed.

In his postgame press conference, Gannon spoke on both Tune and Ridder.

Speaking first on Tune:

"Good. Good command. Played fast. I thought he made some throws in there too. Some guys stepped up, made some plays. I thought he was aware of what was going on out there, making correct decisions and made some plays."

Tune had a more-than-quality night in the office, passing for a game-high 163 yards on 15 completions and a touchdown to Tony Jones Jr. - but even beyond the box score numbers, Tune looked comfortable and confident, and seemed to have grown quite a bit from when we last saw him.

It wasn’t a perfect night, of course, as there were some poorly placed footballs, but it was a good night for Tune.

Gannon speaking on Ridder:

"You'd like to get some first downs, you know what I mean? But that's just not on the quarterback. That's everybody. So, he's not blocking for himself, and he's not running routes for himself. I think as a whole, we got to do a little bit better."

Unfortunately for Ridder, he did not find the same success that Tune had.

Ridder completed just four of his nine pass attempts for 43 yards. Ridder did manage to rack up 39 yards on five carries as a runner, however, his most notable run was a failed QB sneak that he tried to bounce to the outside to convert a fourth and short.

Like Tune, Ridder also struggled with consistency as a thrower. Now entering his third NFL season, there are some expectations that Ridder would be able to grow as a passer, but that wasn’t the case in this game.

In fairness to Ridder, it was his first live-game experience with a new team and that’s not easy for anybody to do, so he does deserve some grace.

Overall, we saw more positives from Tune than Ridder in preseason game one of three.

There’s more than enough time for Ridder to flip the script and outshine Tune, but as far as game one goes? Advantage – Tune.