Ben Roethlisberger won’t have to match up against a former NFL MVP for what is presumed to be the final regular-season game of his career.
Lamar Jackson will not play in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced Friday afternoon.
Tyler Huntley will make his fourth career start and third over the past four weeks for the Ravens (8-8), who like the Steelers (8-7-1) are in a must-win situation in their regular-season finale to have any chance at making the playoffs.
.@Hasselbeck says Ravens QB Tyler Huntley has "put the league on notice."
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 2, 2022
"The way Tyler Huntley has played puts him in position to potentially be somebody's starter someday." pic.twitter.com/F8IGq8o81y
Huntley never has faced the Steelers. In his three starts this season, he has accounted for four touchdowns (two each rushing and passing) and 798 yards (631 passing, 167 rushing).
“The rhythm of his passing, the fluidity of his decision-making is very good for a guy with limited exposure,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week about Huntley.
QB @_SNOOP1 talks about filling in for @Lj_Era8... and wishes him a happy birthday! ???? pic.twitter.com/BS9e2vPfxC
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 7, 2022
Jackson is out because of an ankle injury. Only three of Jackson’s 49 NFL starts have come against the rival Steelers. Despite being a starter for more than 3½ seasons and the teams meeting each other twice per year, Jackson has missed starts against the Steelers because of injury, covid-19 and because Baltimore rested its starters during the 2019 season finale against the Steelers. He also did not become the starter as a rookie until after both Ravens-Steelers 2018 meetings had been played.
Roethlisberger, who has said “all signs point” to his pending retirement, will finish his career 2-0 in QB matchups against Jackson, including a 20-19 comeback win at Heinz Field last month.
Huntley went undrafted out of Utah last season and won the backup job during this past summer’s training camp.
“I feel like it’s a great opportunity and a great accomplishment … just to be in a game of the Ravens versus the Steelers,” Huntley told reporters in Baltimore. “You grow up seeing that on TV, just the legendary games that went on.”
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