Injuries can sometimes be unavoidable and can happen at any time in professional sports, especially in the NFL since football is the most violent of the major leagues.
No position or player is immune from sustaining them and it’s the job of every general manager and head front office executive to fortify their roster with viable contingency plans at every spot but particularly at quarterback which is the most important in all of sport.
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the better reserve signal callers in the league in fourth-year pro Tyler Huntley who has played in several meaningful games and even started for stretches the past two seasons in place of former unanimous league MVP Lamar Jackson.
In a recent article by the Heavy’s own NFL Insider, Matt Lombardo, the former undrafted free agent out of Utah was ranked second on a list of the ‘Most Critically Important Backups for 2023 NFL Season’ and was only behind former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota who was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency to back up Jalen Hurts.
He noted that the Ravens made “significant” commitments to Jackson this offseason in the form of signing him to a record-setting contract and “adding dynamic receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers to his supporting cast via free agency and the NFL Draft.”
“There’s little doubt this will be the most explosive supporting cast Jackson has had at receiver at any juncture of his NFL career, and Baltimore is betting big that the 26-year-old makes major strides as a passer, coinciding with their arrivals,” Lombardo wrote.
With so much invested, so much on the line, and considering they have numerous key players set to be free agents next offseason, the Ravens can’t afford to not have a quality insurance plan under center just in case their star quarterback misses any amount of time for the third year in a row.
“Given Jackson’s lengthy injury history, his propensity for taking off as a runner, and everything the Ravens have invested on offense to catch the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North, Tyler Huntley emerges as one of the league’s most vital backups,” Lombardo wrote. “Huntley showed flashes over the past two seasons, including passing for 1,081 yards in 2021. A proven backup who is comfortable in the Ravens’ scheme, Huntley would certainly be tasked with leading a roster capable of pushing for the division crown if Jackson goes down.”
Over the past two seasons, Jackson has missed a total of 11 games including the postseason and at least the last four of the regular season according to Pro Football Reference as a result of either injury or illness. During that time, Huntley compiled a record of 3-5 as a starter and threw for a combined 1,739 passing yards per PFR and even made last year’s Pro Bowl as an alternate.
This throw by Tyler Huntley is absolutely incredible
– 3rd-and-12
– Less than one minute remaining
– Ravens need a touchdown
– Gets immediately pressured
– On the run
– Gets blasted after the throw
1st & goal
Huntley’s Roster Spot Might Not Be Secure
As admirable and even impressive as he has performed at times in Jackson’s stead, there is no guarantee that Huntley will be a lock to serve as Ravens’ primary backup at that spot for the third year in a row.
According to a stock report from The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec following the team’s mandatory minicamp, while he remains the favorite to hold onto his job, the 25-year-old “left the door open” for 37-year-old journeyman veteran Josh Johnson to potentially supplant him in training camp and the preseason.
“In OTAs and last week’s minicamp, Huntley struggled with consistency and put the ball in harm’s way a little too often,” he wrote. “It’s no secret that Baltimore wanted to upgrade at backup quarterback this offseason.”
The Ravens brought Johnson back for his third stint with them last month in the wake of a new league rule that went into effect that he played a part in inspiring. He’s played for nearly half the league at 14 teams and counting which included previous stops in Baltimore for the 2016 preseason and 2021 regular season.
Earlier in the offseason, the Ravens were reportedly interested in bringing in former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield and among others as a backup option and potential contingency plan had they not signed Jackson to a long-term deal and he refused to play on the franchise tag.
The #Ravens, who face uncertainty around Lamar Jackson’s future, have been involved in the free agent quarterback market, looking into options such as Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett before they signed with Tampa and Washington, per league sources. Baltimore appears to be…
Ravens Could Free Up Cap Space to Address Pressing Needs
Zrebiec also pointed out that Huntley “is on the books for $2.6 million” this season after signing his restricted free agent tender earlier this offseason. Given that both Johnson and second-year pro Anthony Brown account for just $1.962 million against the cap combined according to overthecap.com, they might be tempted to go with a cheaper option if the margin in performance between isn’t very wide.
“If the Ravens aren’t sold on Huntley as a clear upgrade over Johnson, the cap savings they’d get from moving on from Jackson’s backup the past two years could be attractive,” he wrote. “Either way, Huntley, who has started nine games for the Ravens over the past two seasons, will have plenty on the line later this summer.”
Huntley is an ideal backup for what has become the new NFL prototype at the position given his rushing ability and especially in Baltimore behind Jackson. However, in the Ravens’ new offense under Todd Monken where he wants to focus more on getting the other offensive players the ball and less on the quarterback run game, Johnson might just be the better option of the two if he balls out in training camp and the preseason.
Since none of Huntley’s 2023 salary is guaranteed under his tender, the Ravens could use the immediate savings to help bring in a veteran or two at their top remaining positions of need which are cornerback and outside linebacker where they could use more experience and depth.
There are several quality options still available on the open market including recent Ravens in three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters and four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Justin Houston.
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Ravens Pro Bowler Among ‘Most Critically Important Backups’ for 2023