The Baltimore Ravens have to figure things out with their quarterback situation sooner than later. Lamar Jackson remains in limbo after having the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him. While no team has come forth looking to make an offer, it is being reported that Jackson is ready to move on from Baltimore.
Less talked about than the Jackson situation is that his backup, Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley, also remains a free agent. He was tendered the first refusal tender, which is the lowest tender.
It means that they will have the right to match any offer sheet that Huntley may sign but won’t receive any compensation in return. The Ravens also have the right to match any offer sheet Jackson signs but would receive two first-round picks in exchange for him should they opt against it.
At this point in time, it is anyone’s guess how things will shake out. Both Jackson and Huntley could be back, one of them could be retained or both could move on. In the situation that only one or none return to Baltimore, the team will need another quarterback.
One player who Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes would be a good fit for the Ravens is Teddy Bridgewater. 2022 was a disaster for Bridgewater, who was injured on the first series of his first spot start of the season with the Miami Dolphins. In his second spot start, he was injured once again and missed the postseason.
That is likely what is keeping Bridgewater on the market this offseason. With one Pro Bowl and a winning record to his name, he is someone that teams should be aggressively pursuing as a stopgap starter or elite backup option.
While Bridgewater is capable of scrambling, he isn’t a perfect fit behind Jackson in a system that requires a rushing quarterback. But, with Todd Moken taking over as offensive coordinator, Bridgewater could be a good fit for his new system and an upgrade over Huntley as the backup or starter in 2023.
Jackson has become a bit of an injury liability the last two seasons, so having a capable backup is a must. Huntley hasn’t found too much success when tossed into the starting lineup, while Bridgewater has three seasons under his belt playing at least .500 football as a starter.
