Tyler Huntley didn’t spend long without a job after being cut by the Cleveland Browns.
Huntley is heading back to the Baltimore Ravens, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He’ll initially be on the practice squad but will be back with reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who he backed up for the first four years of his career.
The Ravens quarterback depth chart currently includes Jackson and 38-year-old veteran Josh Johnson. Huntley is 12 years younger than Johnson.
The Browns cut Huntley on Thursday, August 29, after initially putting him on the 53-man roster. But by keeping Huntley, the Browns had four quarterbacks on the roster and it was clear the team would be trying to trade one of their backups.
The Browns ultimately decided to release Huntley after a trade failed to materialize, a decision that was not made lightly.
“They’re all tough decisions. Yeah, they’re all tough. You guys know, I love Snoop (Tyler Huntley), the person, the player,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Would love to keep all our guys, but it wasn’t the case.”
Browns Still Sorting Out QB Depth Behind Deshaun Watson
The Browns will move forward with Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston as their quarterbacks.
Winston was assumed to be the No. 2 on the depth chart. However, Thompson-Robinson could end up being the backup when Week 1 rolls around.
“It’s such a competitive roster in general, but that room was very, very competitive, and those guys all had really good moments,” Stefanski said. “Dorian coming off of his injury, to be able to put himself in position to go play like he did in the games, perform like he did in practice, I think was a big part of it.”
Stefanski said “stay tuned” regarding how the depth chart will shake out.
Thompson-Robinson provided a high level of preseason play and has some starting experience from his rookie year. The fifth-round pick went 1-2 in his starts, passing for 440 yards, 1 touchdown, and 4 interceptions. The Browns are confident that he’s learned from those experiences and want to keep him in the mix if Watson misses time again.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Hasn’t Seen Action Since Injury
The Browns have a lot invested in Watson and hope this will be the year he produces at the Pro Bowl level they expected when trading for him in 2022.
The Browns traded a trio of first-round picks to acquire Watson and gave him a $230 million fully guaranteed contract. So far, Watson has played in 12 games with mixed results. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.
Watson did not see action in any preseason games. He was slated to play against the Seattle Seahawks in the team’s preseason finale but the Browns changed course due to issues with the offensive line and Watson experiencing arm soreness.
“With Deshaun, just with considerations to the guys who were out on offense, not just the offensive line, but just didn’t feel like it would be best to put him out there in this setting,” Stefanski said on August 25. “Very, very confident in the amount of work that he’s gotten to date throughout the spring and summer, and he’ll be ready to roll Week 1.”
The Browns kick off the season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
