I’m sick of talking about losing. I’m fairly certain that, at this point, we’re all sick of talking about losing. Instead of fixating on this past Sunday’s game, we’re going to touch on it briefly to set the stage, and then we’re going to play a game of “what-ifs.”
In the continuation of our waking nightmare, the Ravens accrued more injuries, none more noteworthy than Lamar Jackson. While Lamar has had his struggles lately, there’s no questioning that he’s been the major catalyst for this team. He’s breathed life into the offense when they’ve otherwise looked flat, and he’s made some miraculous plays to keep them alive in games with a razor-thin margin between victory and defeat. Luckily, it appears that Lamar has avoided a major injury and could be back as soon as this coming Sunday against the Packers.
Coach Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson: pic.twitter.com/RntbLwGIKw
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 13, 2021
When Jackson exited the game, it forced another dynamic player into action – the player I want to talk about today: the man we call Snoop.
Snoop soaking up the moment‼️@_SNOOP1 pic.twitter.com/oWGel6eGl4
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 21, 2021
For the third time this season, Tyler Huntley was called into action to take snaps in place of Jackson. Despite a losing outcome, Huntley posted his highest QBR of the season (99.7) and racked up a pretty respectable stat line.
— 26/37
— 269 passing yards
— 64 rushing yardsQB Tyler Huntley gave Baltimore everything he had after Lamar Jackson’s injury.
Nearly pulled off the comeback. pic.twitter.com/UntSD4HpdU
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 12, 2021
I can hear some of you already grumbling about me wearing rose-colored glasses. I promise I’m not going to gloss over the fact that he lost two fumbles. Ball security very well may have been the tipping point in that game, and it’ll certainly be a focal point for coaching Huntley moving forward. But, if you recall, Lamar also had a similar issue, which seems to have improved over time. Despite his setbacks, he did about as good a job as you could ask a back-up QB to do when called upon mid-game. Not only did the Ravens have a fighting chance until the very end, but Huntley was able to add some plays to his highlight reel.
Tyler Huntley doing his best Lamar Jackson impression 🤧pic.twitter.com/aB1P7mwP0W
— PFF (@PFF) December 12, 2021
Make no mistake about it, he’s not Lamar Jackson. But I did see a few comments around social media calling him “Lamar Lite,” which honestly is a pretty good description. The undrafted Utah product might have been a well-kept secret to start the year, but it’s safe to say that the cat is out of the bag on Huntley now.
Myles Garrett responding to Jadeveon Clowney's comment that Tyler Huntley might be faster than Lamar Jackson: "The way he looked, he might have been . … The guy was playing pretty well. He looked like he was not starting his second game of the season."
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) December 12, 2021
Here’s where we play the “what-if” game with Huntley. I’ve seen two schools of thought on Snoop’s future with the Ravens, both of which could have major ramifications. The first is that the Ravens could do everything that they can to keep Huntley in town, as he could offer a valuable insurance policy on Jackson. The second is that Eric DeCosta could test the waters in the offseason to see the kind of return a team might be willing to offer for Huntley in a trade.
Let’s talk about the first path. Lamar’s fifth year option sees him drawing a base salary in the coming season of around $23 million. While that’s a reasonable price tag compared to top-10 QBs around the league, there’s a strong likelihood that the framework of a lucrative long-term deal is already in place. If you’re the Ravens, who have a pretty big crop of free agents with whom you need to negotiate in the off-season, do you risk not having a backup like Huntley who fits the system? After all, when you make a major investment in life, what’s one of the first things you consider? An insurance policy.
This seems like it could be a no-brainer, as Huntley is currently rostered as an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) coming into next season. For those not familiar, an ERFA is unable to negotiate with other teams if their current team extends a qualifying offer, usually the league minimum. The Ravens could certainly sweeten the pot if they felt like loading the contract with incentives for Huntley, but, if they want him here, he’s here.
Still, it’s got to be tempting for EDC to consider the market. The Ravens enter this offseason as a team with a few areas that still need to be addressed. I live in the catchment area for a lot of DC sports media, and I’ve probably heard Huntley’s name tossed around by a half-dozen people recently as a player that is drawing intrigue from the WFT. I’ve also seen commentary across social media (albeit not from anyone associated with the team) from Panthers fans pondering if Tyler Huntley could help Carolina’s offense look like they did during the Super Cam era.
It’s a quarterback-driven league, and this is a front office that’s been known to make something out of little to nothing. While that could mean keeping Huntley on for a pittance, it could also mean seeing if teams are willing to part with something significant that could bolster Baltimore’s ability to keep the contending window open.
The Ravens are going to have a huge need at D-line in the near future… let’s say Carolina or Washington is willing to put one of their big men up front on the trading block in exchange for Huntley. If you’re EDC, I’d say that’s a no-brainer. While that’s not likely and it of course has its own salary cap implications, teams have been willing to pony up absurd amounts if they think they have the right guy. Look at what the Seahawks paid Matt Flynn a few years ago based on a microscopic sample size. If you were a GM and you thought there was even a chance that the right QB could give your team a Lamar Jackson-style weapon, how much would you be willing to give up?
I don’t have the answers, because if I could see the future, I’d probably be at a sportsbook in Vegas right now (though I’d probably still be writing, because the RSR guys are the best). I do know one thing, though: if the Steelers call asking about Huntley, the phone is getting hung up and the number is getting blocked.
