If there is anybody that was surprised the Cardinals added a quarterback during free agency, it wasn't Clayton Tune.

During the early portion of free agency, the Cardinals inked a deal with veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

When the season ended and Tune and Kyler Murray were the only quarterbacks in the room, the third-year signal caller knew a competition was inevitable.

"No position is handed to you, so you got to go out and earn it, so I wasn't surprised by it," Tune said. "It really doesn't change my mindset. Like I said every year, you're going to have to earn the job, so that's the mindset I came into this offseason with."

In 2024, the Cardinals traded for Desmond Ridder, a quarterback who had previously started 17 games over his two seasons with the Falcons. Despite Ridder having more experience than the Cardinals' 2023 fifth-rounder, Tune beat out Ridder and secured the backup quarterback role.

Brissett, on the other hand, has been in the league for nearly a decade and comes to the Cardinals with familiarity since he played for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing while in Cleveland. Coach Jonathan Gannon said that Brissett has looked better throughout training camp than he did during OTAs.

But so has Tune.

"My thing with him is play faster. You see the free runner, you know where your answer is, so get him the ball," Gannon said. "I think he's processing faster. His footwork is better. I think that's leading to him playing more on time and throwing the ball more accurately."

Tune is going into his third season, and just like most young players, said his sophomore season jump was beneficial with "the speed of the game and getting more reps and more film under my belt."

So far throughout training camp, Tune has split time with Brissett for QB2 snaps, although he has mostly seen action with the third team. Tune also spent time with Murray and the rest of the offense in Los Angeles.

"It was great," Tune said. "It was fun to hang out with everyone outside of the facility and outside of the football settings. You get to bond with the guys and connect with guys on a different level."

That time spent was valuable to the backup quarterback, having the opportunity to learn from Murray and develop a rapport with the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, and the starting unit.

And just days before the preseason opener, Gannon has seen how more reps with the receivers has helped Tune develop going into Year Three.

"It's learning on the job," Gannon said, adding that Tune made a play during training camp that he missed during his rookie season. "There's the banking of the reps you talk about. That was cool to see."