Ravens are confident in rookie Tyler Huntley as new backup QB
The Baltimore Ravens will have a new backup quarterback behind star signal-caller Lamar Jackson when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at home on Sunday at 1 pm ET.
Rookie Tyler Huntley is next in line to serve as the Ravens’ new No.2 to the reigning league MVP with both Robert Griffin and Trace McSorley recovering from minor injuries on injured reserve.
Griffin pulled his hamstring early against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 and McSorley suffered a knee sprain late in the Ravens’ instant classic on Monday Night Football in Week 14.
Neither injuries are considered career-threatening or even season-ending but have forced the team to turn to the undrafted free agent out of Utah who they have the utmost confidence in.
“Tyler has been doing great,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s been practicing every day, in every meeting, working really hard. He’s improving. He looks good. So, he’ll be our backup quarterback in this game, and he’ll be ready to go if called upon. So, that’s a good thing.”
Huntley has spent nearly the entire season on the practice squad where he has been helping provide solid looks for the defense and turning heads on the practice field at the Under-Amour Performance Center.
He was active for the team’s narrow 19-14 loss to the Steelers in the game that Griffin went down but didn’t take a snap in the game since it was McSorley who was inserted under center in relief of the veteran.
Like the backups that came before him and Jackson, Huntley is a dual-threat who can throw the ball with accuracy and precision as well as make plays with his legs as a runner whether it is taking off himself or extending passing plays.
In his senior season, he boasted a completion of 73 percent and threw for 3,092 yards, 19 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also picked 290 yards and five scores on the ground as well.
Since the COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 preseason, Huntley was unable to showcase his talents on film against opposing NFL teams for the Ravens or any other curious teams looking for a developmental or just solid backup quarterback.
However, that adversity hasn’t stopped the rookie from impressing his teammates and coaches in training camp and regular-season practices. Among those who have been impressed with him since he stepped in the building and even before is Jackson who Huntley outdueled in a legendary high school playoff game in South Florida back in 2014.
“I don’t want to tell you all anything about him. I don’t need you all hyping it up,” Jackson said with a laugh. “I know what he’s capable of doing. We’re trying to keep him under the radar as much as possible. You all are going to have to see for yourselves. He’s like that; he’s definitely like that.”
While it remains to be seen if he will be fully recovered, Griffin will be eligible to return from IR after Sunday’s game since it would meet the minimum three-week requirement for a player on the reserve list to return.
Harbaugh believes Griffin is progressing well in his rehab and hasn’t had any setbacks but said that he hasn’t received daily reports on his health status since was first placed on the list.
The Jaguars are 1-12 and haven’t consistently played well against quality opponents all season so there is a chance that this game could get out of hand and out of reach early in favor of the Ravens.
If that does end up being the case, it could mean that Huntley might be in store for his first taste of real NFL action this week in clean up duty if Baltimore is up big and decides to rest Jackson for most or all of the fourth quarter.
If the rookie does end up seeing the field on Sunday, he’ll have an opportunity to gain some valuable experience and put some tape out there of himself against a starting, albeit struggling, NFL defense which is almost equivalent to playing in a game in the second or third week of the preseason.
