Both Tyler Huntley and Jordan Love filled in at quarterback in limited situations for their respective NFL teams last season.
It gave Huntley, the former Utah star, and Love, the former Utah State standout, the chance to show what they could do, even if they both currently back up an All-Pro quarterback — Huntley is backup to the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, while Love backs up the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers.
How are Huntley and Love both viewed among the group of young NFL backup quarterbacks?
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin ranked both the young and veteran backup signal-callers in the league this week, and Huntley and Love — who are both under the age of 25 — made an appearance on the list.
Where is Tyler Huntley ranked among young NFL backup quarterbacks?
Benjamin ranked Huntley, who started four games last season in relief of an injured Jackson, as the top young backup quarterback in the NFL right now.
Huntley, an undrafted third-year pro, completed nearly 65% of his passes while playing in seven games last year, throwing for 1,081 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions, while rushing for 294 yards and two touchdowns.
“No, he’s not Lamar Jackson, but he’s a perfect substitute in Baltimore, where he’s shown in limited sample sizes that he can throw confidently and create space on the ground. It’s not such a bad thing to have an athlete as your emergency fill-in,” Benjamin wrote.
Where is Jordan Love ranked among young NFL backup quarterbacks?
Of six backup quarterbacks in the young category, Benjamin ranks Love No. 4.
The onetime Aggie — the Packers’ first-round NFL draft pick in 2020 — played limited snaps over six games last year, with one start when Rodgers was out with COVID-19. He completed 58.1% of his passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, and lost the one start.
“We’ve seen just one real game from him, and he’s still developing his vision, but at 23, with good size and a legitimate arm, we still like his potential as a big-play passer,” Benjamin wrote.