Baltimore Ravens may already have Lamar Jackson's replacement if QB leaves
Last season, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a rather underwhelming season and a decline in play from his 2019 MVP season and 2020 season.
NFL analyst Chris Simms spoke on Chris Simms Unbuttoned about when Jackson got injured and Tyler Huntley filled in for him last season. In his observations, Simms suggested that the Ravens may have already found a replacement for Jackson.
Simms said:
“...[Tyler Huntley’s] decision making... when he came in... Lamar was going through a tough stretch and not playing all that well. And Lamar, let's say he got hurt in the Cleveland game the week before that, I think [it] was the Steelers game. And Lamar was bad in that game, and they lost the game. They should not have lost... [Huntley] came in and he was pretty efficient with decision making to the point where you're like ‘Damn, he's good there.’”
Huntley filled in for Jackson when he was hurt in 2021 after Week 14. Jackson suffered an ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns and sat out the remainder of the season, leading Huntley to start in the four games Jackson missed.
In Jackson's absence, Huntley threw for 1,081 yards while completing 64.9 percent of passes and throwing for three touchdowns. He also added 292 rushing touchdowns and two touchdowns.
If the Ravens move on from Lamar Jackson next season, they could turn to Tyler Huntley
Lamar Jackson is set to become a free agent next season, as his contract expires after this season's fifth-year option was picked up last year.
Ravens officially picked up QB Lamar Jackson’s fully-guaranteed, $23.1 million fifth-year option. Time to continue work on the long-term extension.
Jackson and the Ravens had some early off-season talks on a potential contract extension, but they quickly stalled.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Jackson has told the Ravens that he's currently "too focused" on having a strong 2022 season and wants to wait for contract negotiations. The 25-year-old doesn't want to negotiate a deal until the next offseason.
When will Lamar Jackson engage the Ravens in contract talks? It may not be until 2023, at the earliest. wp.me/pbBqYq-cf6X
Jackson is also unlike most NFL players. He represents himself and doesn't have an NFL agent. His mother helped him negotiate his rookie deal. It's not uncommon to have an agent, but when a star player like Jackson doesn't have one, it makes things interesting heading into free agency, especially during a contract year.
However, if the Ravens lose Jackson to free agency or decide to move on from him, they could turn their attention to Tyler Huntley. Huntley showed some flashes in the four games he started in at the end of the season and would be a cheap option as he's on a rookie deal.
The Ravens might think that Jackson may not be a franchise quarterback for a long time due to his playing style, as he runs a lot and takes a lot of hits. Jackson also hasn't had a season as he did during his 2019-2020 season, where he won MVP.