CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns' crowded quarterback competition will add one more due to injuries.
The Browns are signing Tyler Huntley, a person close to the situation said Monday night.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. The Browns will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday to take part in joint workouts with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday and a preseason game Friday night.
Huntley will become the the sixth quarterback on the Browns roster. Joe Flacco is in the lead to start the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but faces competition from Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Deshaun Watson is on the physically unable to perform list, but was listed fifth on the first depth chart released on Monday. Watson is expected to miss the entire season due to two Achilles injuries.
However, the Browns are lacking healthy QBs at the moment. Pickett and Gabriel are dealing with hamstring injuries while Sanders sat out the Aug. 2 practice due to a sore arm. Pickett and Gabriel participated in individual drills Monday, but are questionable to do any team drills the rest of the week.
Coach Kevin Stefanski would like to have Flacco go in the joint practice but sit him out of the preseason game. Barring any other injuries, that would make Sanders and Huntley the quarterbacks for Friday night's game.
“Injuries are a part of this game. They’re frustrating from the standpoint of when you lose a guy for a good amount of time you feel, that’s tough on the players. But the dealing with injuries, adjusting because injuries, that’s just part of the game," Stefanski said before Monday's practice.
Huntley was with the Browns during the preseason last year, completing 37 of 51 passes for 322 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 92.1 passer rating before being released. He signed with Baltimore's practice squad before being claimed by the Miami Dolphins before Week 3.
Huntley started five games for the Dolphins, including Week 17 at Cleveland when he was 22 of 26 for 225 yards and a touchdown in Miami's 20-3 victory.
In five NFL seasons with Baltimore and Miami, Huntley has appeared in 25 games and made 14 starts.
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Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
