Dolphins Signing Former Baltimore Backup

The Miami Dolphins have acquired depth at the quarterback position, with Tua Tagovailoa sidelined by a concussion.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyler Huntley (10) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field during the 2024 preseason. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins have found their veteran quarterback to help while Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined with his latest concussion.

The team will be signing Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad onto their 53-man roster, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Huntley will join Skylar Thompson, who head coach Mike McDaniel almost assuredly would be starting against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Huntley has appeared in 20 NFL regular season games over the past four seasons, all with the Ravens. He rejoined their practice squad this year after he was released by the Cleveland Browns, with whom he had signed in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Huntley has a 3-6 record as a starter with a 79.0 career passer rating, off a 64.6 completion percentage, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His only start of 2023 came in the regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Ravens already had clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, and he went 15-for-28 for 146 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in a 17-10 loss.

In 2022, Huntley wound up on the AFC roster for the Pro Bowl despite starting only four games. It should be noted that Patrick Mahomes bowed out because he was involved in the Super Bowl, Josh Allen was injured, and Joe Burrow had an excused absence.

This is a Huntley scouting report, courtesy of Jon Alfano, who writes for sister site Baltimore Ravens On SI: "Huntley may not be a world-beater, but he's a dependable backup when the situation calls for it, especially for the Ravens since he's essentially a budget Lamar Jackson. He's also well liked in the locker room, with Jackson recently calling him his 'brother.' He'll bring some nice stability to the quarterback room, and the Dolphins could really use that after Tagovailoa's latest injury."

THE OUTLOOK FOR HUNTLEY

The 26-year-old Huntley was born in South Florida and attended the University of Utah.

Among the available free-agent quarterbacks, Huntley probably ranked near the top. Former Dolphins first-round pick and longtime starter Ryan Tannehill clearly stands as the most accomplished, but his play has tailed off in recent years, and he's also said to be looking for an opportunity to start for the rest of the season.

The Dolphins' outlook at quarterback isn't clear at this time because of Tagovailoa's status. He is set to meet with neurologists this week amid reports that he has no plans to retire.

Huntley's only NFL experience comes with the Ravens, whose offense has always centered around the running game. Therefore, he isn't necessarily well-versed in McDaniel's scheme. However, he's been around for a bit, and his mobility could also come in handy given the state of the offensive line, which is dealing with injuries and coming off a disappointing performance in the 31-10 loss against the Buffalo Bills.