Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh bolting down the sideline during an NFL game.
The New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens are set to clash in the 2022 season opener at MetLife Stadium.
Although a lot of people have been looking well past that date into the future which could feature an interesting swapping of the guard at quarterback.
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A Fit That Could Make a Lot of Sense
The Ravens have their quarterback of the future with Lamar Jackson, even if his contract status is hanging up in the air.
That could lead to Baltimore’s primary backup, Tyler Huntley, exploring new territory in 2023.
Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated recently attempted to predict where all the available quarterbacks will land next offseason.
When Huntley’s name came up he believes the talented passer will stay in Baltimore, however, if it was up to him he may land elsewhere.
The 24-year-old is set to be a restricted free agent in 2023 and if that RFA tender is anything less than a second-rounder, Orr said he’d be “very interested” as an opposing general manager to explore that potential QB option.
“Next stop: Back in Baltimore, but, man, if I were the Lions, Saints, Jets, Giants, Titans, or Texans (among others), I would kick the tires and make this offseason a little difficult for the Ravens.”
The only quarterback the Jets have under contract next year is Zach Wilson. Gang Green expects him to take a massive leap this season, but if he does or doesn’t, the backup situation is completely unsettled.
Both Mike White and Joe Flacco are set to be unrestricted free agents and it’s no guarantee that either will return to New York in 2023.
A Talented Option
Huntley originally went undrafted back in 2020 and joined the Ravens shortly after the draft.
He didn’t make the initial 53-man roster but stuck around on the practice squad. The former Utah product got a handful of opportunities in his rookie season to play due to other injuries at the position and COVID.
However, he really came on the scene last year when Jackson went down with an injury. He appeared in seven games and ended up starting in four of those contests:
- Five total touchdowns
- 65 percent completion percentage
- Rushed for over 294 yards
- Averaged 6.3 yards per clip
Coming out of college he was described by draft analyst Lance Zierlein as a player that “can make all the throws.” In addition to that he is a modern dual-threat quarterback that can also attack you on the ground.
An explosive athlete that has the ability to make “off-schedule plays”, does that sound familiar?
Even if Wilson balls out in 2022, it helps when your backup quarterback is of the same style as your starter. So if injuries ever happen you won’t have to dramatically change the offense, instead, the next guy in line can step right in and have success.
Huntley is set to be a restricted free agent which means whatever draft pick tender Baltimore places on him would mean any team that signs him to an offer sheet would have to surrender that pick in the upcoming draft class.
That could prove to be a costly option, depending on what the Ravens choose to do there, but it could be a worthwhile investment.
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