Commanders' hidden weakness now has a no-brainer fix for Adam Peters

Sam Hartman’s tentative performance this preseason has left any immediate thoughts of him becoming the Washington Commanders’ QB3 in disarray.

Dan Quinn still has the definitive journeyman Josh Johnson on the initial 53-man roster, and it is possible offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury feels comfortable enough with the veteran to pencil him into the depth chart behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota.

However, as all 32 teams across the league make their final cuts, several other candidates for the job have become available. Perhaps the best possible quarterback for this role was released by the Cleveland Browns. He should be high on Adam Peters’ wish list.

Commanders should take a look at Tyler Huntley for QB3 upgrade

Tyler Huntley was always going to be a long shot in Cleveland. When he signed with the club earlier this month, the Browns already had four quarterbacks on the active roster, including two 2025 draft picks. We won’t mention the Browns' sixth signal-caller at the time, as he was never going to be a factor.

Signing with Cleveland did provide Huntley with a chance to showcase himself in the preseason, and he took full advantage. Playing in pieces of all three Browns warmup games, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 139 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. Compared to rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, he looked like a seasoned pro for much of his time on the field.

It wasn’t enough to get him a job in Cleveland, but it may have been enough to attract the attention of a team like the Commanders.

Up until now, Huntley has been best known for backing up Lamar Jackson on the Baltimore Ravens. He even earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022 for filling in well enough to take the AFC North outfit into the playoffs when the two-time NFL MVP was out.

The offense that Daniels runs is predicated on a quarterback who can move. Mariota is an ideal No. 2 because of his excellent running ability. Huntley would slot in right behind them. He does not have nearly as good an arm, but with a career completion percentage in the mid-60s, his accuracy is sound enough.

He takes a few too many sacks and will make a bad decision now and then. But after five years in the league — with 25 games and 14 starts under his belt — Huntley has developed into a much steadier signal caller than he was when he entered the league.

Any team that has to rely on its third quarterback is in trouble, but with a player like Huntley, the Commanders can at least maintain hope. If he had to take over for a couple of games while Daniels and/or Mariota were on the mend, Washington could still run its offense and could still compete.

That’s precisely what Peters needs in his third quarterback. It’s something he doesn’t currently have, but could if Huntley joins the ranks at the expense of Johnson.

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