John Harbaugh: 'No question' Tyler Huntley can be starting QB in NFL

Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson and head coach John Harbaugh both sounded optimistic in late July that Jackson and the club would ultimately come to terms on a long-term contract extension before the start of the regular season. 

No such agreement has been announced, however, and Jackson is currently on track to take the field for the Week 1 matchup at the New York Jets on Sept. 11 while in the final year of his rookie contract.

Of course, Jackson isn't Baltimore's only signal-caller on the roster this summer. Former undrafted free-agent acquisition Tyler Huntley is set to again serve as Jackson's primary backup and has completed 125-of-193 career NFL regular-season passes (64.8%) for 1,096 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Huntley has also contributed 317 yards and a pair of scores on 57 career rushing attempts. 

According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Harbaugh spoke with reporters Thursday and strongly suggested he thinks Huntley can be a winning QB1 at the highest level. 

"I definitely believe that. There’s no question in my mind about that. I’m glad we have him," Harbaugh said of the 24-year-old. "We’re very, very blessed to have him as one of our players, one of our quarterbacks." 

While the Ravens could and very likely would retain Jackson's rights through the 2023 campaign via the franchise tag if absolutely necessary, Huntley will be a restricted free agent after the upcoming season and, thus, probably will remain attached to the organization until March 2024 at the earliest. 

Perhaps Harbaugh was sending a message via his comments, or maybe he truly envisions Huntley as a potential replacement if things with Jackson go poorly between early September and this coming January.