Tyler Huntley has been signed by the Miami Dolphins as Tua Tagovailoa’s return from a concussion injury remains uncertain. The quarterback has bounced around the NFL, and now the South Florida native has returned to the spotlight.
The 26-year-old playmaker was initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 and later made the roster. He has since played 20 regular season games so far and amassed 221 out of 342 completed passes, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Until Tagovailoa returns in full health, Huntley will join Skylar Thompson in the quarterback room.
As Huntley‘s name makes the round of the internet after his move to Miami, fans couldn’t help but notice his interesting nickname! The quarterback’s Instagram handle also carries the username ‘_theonlysnoop’, a nod to his moniker and an obvious reference to the rapper Snoop Dogg.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the nickname was given by his high school coach at Hallandale. It was Huntley’s lanky frame and long hair, reminiscent of the singer’s, that led his teammates and coach to start calling him ‘Snoop.’
The quarterback himself shared the backstory of his moniker on Instagram Live:
“Long story short. I was skinny with long hair. Got the name ‘Snoop.’”
That said, as Huntley gears up for his new role, a former teammate and one of the league’s top quarterbacks expressed excitement about the news.
Lamar Jackson is pumped for Tyler Huntley!
During his time in Baltimore, Huntley played as backup to Lamar Jackson, even taking over the helm in times of need. The two seem to carry that bond even now, as evidenced by the Ravens quarterback QB’s latest reaction.
Responding to a post about Huntley’s new job, Jackson showed his excitement with some fire emojis on X:
Huntley had made a name for himself as Jackson’s backup at Baltimore. The two even played against each other in their high school days, and the QB’s famous nickname carried over to their friendship. When Jackson had to sit out in a January matchup against the Steelers, the MVP asserted his belief in his backup.
“I believe Snoop [Tyler Huntley] can get the job done,” he said, as per the Ravens’ official website. “We got guys who going to go out there and ball out you know, I got all the faith in my team.”
Huntley can be seen taking center stage in the Dolphins’ following games if Tua is unavailable. It’s definitely going to be interesting to watch how the former Ravens backup fares in Miami.