Browns, Tyler Huntley Agree to 1-Year Vet Minimum Contract

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After starting five separate quarterbacks in the 2023 season the Cleveland Browns are strengthening their QB room with the signing of former NFL Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley.

The Browns were able to sign Huntley at the veteran minimum salary of $915,000 for one year, quite the steal considering the amount of experience that Huntley can bring to this team. Huntley has his work cut out for him, competing with two other veterans in Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston, not to mention Dorian Thompson-Robinson, which makes it a guessing game as far as how deep on the depth chart he'll be.

Huntley's Career

In order to make this guess we have to look at where he's coming from. Back in 2020, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent and shortly after found a place on their practice squad. He would eventually get his chance to prove himself on the field, in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After entering the game in the fourth quarter Huntley managed to go 2-of-4 for 7 yards and rushed four times for 18 yards.

He wouldn't get his first start until the next season in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears. In a 16-13 victory, Huntley threw for 219 yards passing, had 40 yards rushing and led the Ravens on a game-winning touchdown drive in the last 22 seconds.

In 2022, Huntley was able to earn Pro Bowl honors after starting four games and playing in six total. Over the course of those games, he had a 77.2 passer rating with 658 yards on 75 completions. Although his Pro Bowl selection was met with some controversy because of a small sample size of games played, Huntley was able to prove his abilities in the postseason by completing 17 of 29 passes for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.

In 2023 while backing up NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, Huntley played in five games completing 21-of-37 of his passes for 203 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. His lone start came in a Week 17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Will Huntley See the Field for the Browns?

As of now, Watson has yet to recover from injuries sustained last season, but if Huntley makes it onto the field it will most likely be as Winston's backup. On the field, Huntley should have no problems showcasing his abilities with a supporting cast of running back Nick Chubb and receivers Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy at his disposal.

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So will Huntley come in as the new starter, for the Browns? I don't think so. However, he absolutely has a path to become the starter and have a great season/career in Cleveland.