GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) 鈥� Clayton Tune will start at quarterback for Green Bay in its regular-season finale Sunday at Minnesota with the Packers intending to rest Jordan Love as he prepares for the playoffs.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday that Love has cleared , but isn鈥檛 expected to play against the Vikings (8-8). Green Bay (9-6-1) already is locked into the so Sunday鈥檚 game has no postseason implications.
Love hasn鈥檛 played since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter of a at Chicago on Dec. 20.
Love said he’s doing enough in practice that he shouldn’t feel rusty when he starts the Packers’ playoff opener.
鈥淚 think the only thing as a quarterback that you鈥檙e not simulating is getting hit,鈥� Love said. 鈥淪o, yeah, you go through training camp and it鈥檚 the same situation getting yourself ready for Week 1 where you鈥檙e not playing any games. It鈥檚 the same deal, but you can simulate it.鈥�
played the rest of the Bears game and started the Packers鈥� to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, but he鈥檚 dealing with injuries to his shoulder and hamstring. Love practiced fully and Willis was limited in Wednesday鈥檚 practice.
The Packers also signed to their practice squad on Wednesday, giving them one more option. LaFleur said there鈥檚 a possibility Ridder could be active for Sunday鈥檚 game.
鈥淐layton Tune鈥檚 going to start, and then as far as the backup, we鈥檙e kind of working through that process right now,鈥� LaFleur said. 鈥淢alik鈥檚 dealing with a hamstring. Obviously just got Desmond Ridder in here. We鈥檙e kind of taking it a day at a time.鈥�
Tune signed with Green Bay鈥檚 practice squad before the season. The Packers signed Tune from their practice squad to their active roster Wednesday.
鈥淎ny time you get an opportunity to play in an NFL game, it鈥檚 a huge blessing,鈥� Tune said. 鈥淪o (I’m) just excited for the opportunity to go out and play and trust the training that I鈥檝e put in for the last however many weeks it鈥檚 been.鈥�
Tune, 26, entered the Ravens game in the fourth quarter and went 1 of 4 for 8 yards with an interception. He appeared in 13 games and made one start with the Arizona Cardinals, who selected him out of Houston in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.
He has gone 15 of 27 for 78 yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns. In his lone previous start, he was sacked seven times as the Cardinals gained just 58 total yards in to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 5, 2023.
鈥淚 would say I鈥檓 obviously more experienced, been around the game more,鈥� Tune said in regard to how much he’s grown since that start. 鈥漁bviously seeing more looks, seeing more defenses, so I would say I鈥檓 obviously a better player just from being in the NFL for two years longer, but just I鈥檝e seen it before and I kind of know what to expect now that I鈥檝e got a start under my belt.”
LaFleur also said newly acquired cornerback 鈥減otentially鈥� could play against the Vikings. The Packers claimed Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday.
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