Jordan Love clears concussion protocol; Packers starting third-stringer Clayton Tune vs. Vikings
The Packers have already secured the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and don't plan to play Love unless injuries make it necessary.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffered his first documented NFL concussion in a Week 16 game against the Bears. David Banks / Imagn Images
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has cleared concussion protocol, but third-string quarterback Clayton Tune will start Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday.
The Packers have already secured the No. 7 seed for the playoffs, and LaFleur said he doesn’t plan to play Love unless injuries make it necessary. Love will likely enter the wild-card round having missed the last 10.5 quarters since suffering his first documented NFL concussion midway through the second quarter of a Week 16 game against the Chicago Bears.
The Packers are uncertain who will back up Tune. Malik Willis is nursing a hamstring injury, and the Packers signed Desmond Ridder to the practice squad Wednesday. It’s possible that Love backs up Tune, but the Packers would probably like to avoid the scenario of their starter coming off a head injury being one snap away from playing.
Tune is a 2023 fifth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals who spent the entire season on Green Bay’s practice squad before stepping in when Willis aggravated his right shoulder injury last Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. Tune completed 1-of-4 passes for eight yards and an interception on a tipped pass that wide receiver Bo Melton dropped.
Sunday will mark Tune’s second career start, with his first coming in a 27-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns in 2023. Tune completed 11-of-20 passes for 58 yards and two interceptions in that game while running five times for 28 yards and losing a fumble.
“I think there’s a lot to like,” LaFleur said of Tune. “I think he’s got a good handle on the offense, especially for a guy that really wasn’t here through an offseason or training camp. … You can tell he’s a smart guy. He’s got some athleticism in regards to his ability to get out of the pocket.
“I think that that was one of the alluring things about him, is just he is not a statue back there by any stretch. He can make off-schedule plays, and we’re just trying to put him in the best position possible to go and make plays.”
Matt Schneidman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Green Bay Packers. He is a proud alum of The Daily Orange student newspaper at Syracuse University. Follow Matt on Twitter