The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for one of the better defenses in the NFL ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Houston Texans - a puzzle that will be considerably more difficult to solve absent starting quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson will miss the contest on Sunday with a hamstring injury he sustained in the second half of last weekend’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. As a two-time MVP, his absence would be felt significantly either way.
However, it’s even more problematic because Houston’s defense is so formidable, and one of the ways to neutralize what it does well is to deploy a quarterback who is capable of making plays as a rusher.
That is not a strength of second-string QB Cooper Rush, who will get the start in Baltimore. However, it is something that long-time Ravens backup Tyler Huntley does well. He rejoined Baltimore’s roster in late August after the Cleveland Browns cut him, and the Ravens elevated Huntley from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday to serve as QB2 behind Rush against Houston.
“With Lamar Jackson out for Sunday's game vs. Houston, the Ravens elevated QB Tyler Huntley and DT C.J. Okoye from their practice squad,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via X.
Baltimore has been hit by a rash of injuries early in the season, though none as catastrophic as the hamstring that might keep Jackson out several weeks. Fortunately for the Ravens, Rush and Huntley are two of the more experienced and accomplished backup signal-callers in the league.
Rush served as QB2 with the Dallas Cowboys for seven seasons before inking a two-year deal with the Ravens in 2025. He has played in 40 games and has started 14 of those (he has a 9-5 record as a starter).
Huntley has appeared in 25 career games, also starting 14 times (5-9). He spent 2020-23 as Jackson’s backup QB in Baltimore, so Huntley is also familiar with several prominent members of the Ravens’ locker room, front office and coaching staff.
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