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Baltimore Ravens Backup Quarterback Options for 2023

Baltimore Ravens Backup Quarterback Options for 2023: Baltimore's backup quarterback situation is unclear. Who might they elect for the role?
Baltimore Ravens Backup Quarterback

The Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback situation is up in the air. Tyler Huntley is expected to be a free agent while Anthony Brown’s performances suggest he is not ready to be the team’s backup just yet. Given the number of starting quarterbacks that missed time last season (including Lamar Jackson), it seems important that the Ravens find a solution at backup quarterback for the upcoming season.

All of this is, of course, based on the assumption that Jackson is retained by the Ravens for at least another season. His contract situation remains up in the air, although most expect him to stay one way or another. With that said, trade rumors have begun swirling again. It remains to be seen what happens, but most would be surprised if Baltimore and Jackson part ways given their mutual admiration for each other.

Ranking Baltimore Ravens Backup Quarterback Options for 2023

1. Stetson Bennett, NFL Draft

Stetson Bennett had a Heisman-caliber season for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022. He led the team to a National Championship, playing 15 games and throwing for 4,127 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also added 205 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Bennett enters the 2023 NFL Draft as a late-round selection, who could go anywhere between rounds five and seven. He has a limited ceiling due to his limited athleticism and small size. His arm is also not NFL-ready. However, despite that, Bennett is a proven winner who has excellent toughness and leadership. He has good intangibles and, at 25, brings slightly more experience and maturity than most rookie quarterbacks.

Bennett to Baltimore makes sense. His success at Georgia was largely down to Todd Monken’s scheme and playcalling. Monken, Baltimore’s new offensive coordinator, will implement a lot of Georgia’s schemes into Batimore’s run-heavy offense. As such, Bennett would slide into a familiar system in Baltimore. The fact that Baltimore would give up minimal draft capital to acquire Bennett is another positive. Given his experience and reputation, Bennett would provide decent stability as QB2 for a few years.

2. Sam Darnold, Free Agent

Free agency is the other route that the Ravens could opt for. In this free agent quarterback class, Sam Darnold is an intriguing backup quarterback option. He disappointed as the third overall pick with the New York Jets and his tenure with the Carolina Panthers failed to heighten his stock too. He does, however, still flash some potential at times. In 2022, Darnold played six games and went 4-2 with Carolina. In those games, he threw for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and three picks. He also ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns. It was arguably Darnold’s steadiest season. Should Carolina decide to let him walk, Baltimore could do a lot worse than sign Darnold to be their insurance policy.

Darnold’s current market value is probably at around $5 million per year. The Ravens could sign him to a short-term deal and reconsider their backup quarterback situation afterward. In Baltimore’s smashmouth system and with an elite defense, Darnold could thrive as a game manager. He is also decently athletic and mobile, making him a good backup for Jackson.

3. Malik Cunningham, NFL Draft

Malik Cunningham is a name that is being thrown around a lot to be Jackson’s backup. The Louisville Cardinal was a four-year starting quarterback at college and enters the draft as a late-round selection (but he may go undrafted). The 2022 season saw Cunningham go 5-5, throwing for 1,568 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions. On the ground, he had 560 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was a drop-off from his fantastic 2021 season when he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and managed 39 total touchdowns (19 passing, 20 rushing).

Cunningham comes from the college that Jackson was drafted out of in 2018. He took over from Jackson and many have commented that their playstyles are quite similar. A highly mobile quarterback with explosive athleticism, Cunningham does a lot of things that most other quarterbacks cannot do. He does, however, have limited arm talent. Despite this, his processor is decent, and he has a lot of playing experience. He would be a seasoned rookie backup quarterback who can do some of the things that Jackson can do (though at a lower level).

4. Tyler Huntley, Free Agent

Re-signing Tyler Huntley would not be the worst idea in the world. He provides stability and experience and is a favorite in the locker room. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Huntley stepped up down the stretch due to injuries to Jackson. The team knows what to expect with Huntley and teammates have rallied around him before. He would also be a cheap signing, likely netting less than $1 million per year.

With that said, the upside with Huntley is very limited. The high floor is both positive and negative here. While Huntley did enough to ensure that the high-flying Ravens made the playoffs, he failed to be much more than a low-end game manager. When looking at Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers, it is clear that a backup quarterback that can be more than passive can make or break a team’s season. As such, the Ravens may opt to gamble on one of the more unknown entities with a higher ceiling.

5. Marcus Mariota, Trade

Trading for Marcus Mariota would be very rogue. However, it could be a move that makes sense. Mariota was benched in 2022 in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder. It seems that Mariota’s chances of being a starting quarterback next year are increasingly low. As such, the Ravens could offer to trade for Mariota, allowing the former second-overall pick to improve his stock for the following free agency cycle. The Ravens would not need to sacrifice much to acquire Mariota, perhaps a mid-to-late round selection would suffice. This is because trading Mariota nets the Atlanta Falcons $12 million in cap space. The likelihood is that Baltimore would be unwilling to take on Mariota’s $14.5 million cap hit in 2023 and so an extension could be in order. This would save the Ravens more than $8.5 million.

In the 2022 season, Mariota went 5-8 in 13 games, throwing for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine picks. He also ran for 438 yards and four touchdowns. He has limited arm talent compared to starting NFL quarterbacks but his athleticism might be appealing to Baltimore. Compared to the other options on the list, Mariota presents the highest floor but would cost the most.

Other Options

All of these options are out the window if Baltimore fails to retain Jackson. Should Jackson leave, the team would have to reinvent their quarterback room and find a new franchise quarterback anyway. This would impact who they want as their backup. This is one other possible scenario, though not a likely one.

Another scenario could be that the team promote Brown to be their backup quarterback. They could, instead, look to snag a third-string developmental quarterback (Bennett and Cunningham may fit in this category too). Brown was impressive in camp last year. If he shows even more improvement this offseason, he could be a good choice to take over Huntley’s backup role.

 

Main Photo: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

Curtis Leung

Curtis Leung

Curtis Leung is a UK-based writer covering the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens for LWOS since 2022. He is interested in the NFL, association football, NBA and field hockey but is keen to learn about other sports too.

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