The Ravens' quarterback has recently found success both through the air and on the ground, and his name is not Lamar Jackson. With the latter nursing an ankle injury he suffered in a Week 14 loss to the Browns, Baltimore has turned to Tyler Huntley under center. After an efficient start back in Week 11, when he guided the Ravens to a win over the Bears while Jackson sat out with an illness, and some flashy plays in place of the injured Jackson last week.
On Sunday, Huntley took his game to another level before falling short to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers 31-30. Huntley tossed two first-half touchdowns and added two rushing scores in the fourth quarter, the second in the final minute. Baltimore chose to go for two and failed.
But who is Tyler Huntley? When did he join the Ravens? Here are some things to know about Baltimore's emergency QB (you can check out our Packers-Ravens live blog here):
Went undrafted in 2020
Zero teams called Huntley's name coming out of Utah, where he had mixed results as a starter. After playing just four games as a freshman backup, the Dania Beach native flashed dual-threat abilities as a sophomore No. 1, throwing 15 touchdowns and 10 picks while also rushing for 537 yards and six scores in 10 games. Injuries limited him to nine games the following year, but he was at his best as a passer as a senior, completing 73 percent of his passes and totaling 3,300+ yards from scrimmage with 24 scores (19 passing, five rushing) and just four picks. The Ravens signed him immediately after the 2020 draft.
Spent rookie year as Ravens' No. 4 QB
Veteran Robert Griffin III served as Lamar Jackson's backup in 2020, with former Penn State starter Trace McSorley rounding out the official QB depth chart at No. 3. Both Griffin and McSorley suffered injuries in relief of Jackson, however, so Huntley saw several promotions from Baltimore's practice squad and took a combined 28 snaps in two games.
Emerged during playoff loss to Bills
Huntley's first real shot in the spotlight came during the Ravens' 17-3 loss to the Bills in the 2020 playoffs. After Jackson left the game on the final play of the third quarter with a concussion, the rookie took over under center and showed off his arm and legs, keeping Baltimore in the fight despite a two-touchdown deficit. Huntley ultimately missed a wide-open Marquise Brown for a potential score on a late fourth down, but he had several big runs and led the Ravens on a 12-play, 56-yard drive.
Has a big fan in Lamar Jackson
Jackson joked during the 2020 season that he didn't want to talk too much about his teammate, so as to give away the secret weapon on the Ravens' QB depth chart: "I don't want to tell y'all anything about him. I don't need ya'll hyping him up. I know what he's capable of doing. We want to keep him under the radar as much as possible."
Earned Ravens' top backup job in 2021
Huntley, 23, won the No. 2 job this summer and has posted solid numbers in his brief appearances for Jackson this year. He went 26 of 36 for 219 yards and one pick while also rushing for 43 yards in the Ravens' Week 11 win over Chicago, then went 27 of 38 for 270 yards and one touchdown, with another 45 yards on the ground, in Baltimore's 24-22 loss to Cleveland in Week 14. On Sunday, he finished 28 of 40 for 215 yards and two TDs and added 13 carries for 73 yards and two TDs on the ground.
