Lose your starting quarterback and your backup in the same game, and the phone gets busy. The Baltimore Ravens lost Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley together, so they’re reportedly making a Jacoby Brissett trade. The Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a deal that sends the 33-year-old quarterback to Baltimore, according to the AP, which cited a source with knowledge of the trade.
Neither team has confirmed it. The AP’s source spoke anonymously because the deal isn’t complete. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the same thing, with Schefter writing that the Cardinals “are finalizing a trade to send QB Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens.”
How the Ravens quarterback trade came together
Last week’s loss at Buffalo cost Baltimore both of its quarterbacks. Jackson hurt his thumb and Huntley hurt his toe, and both are now on injured reserve. The AP reports Jackson needs surgery on his right thumb and is out indefinitely. Huntley is reportedly done for the season with turf toe.
That leaves undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano under center Thursday night against the Jaguars.
Brissett won’t be eligible in time. Pro Football Talk reports that the two teams aren’t expected to complete the trade until the weekend.
What Baltimore is getting in Brissett
Brissett is an 11-year veteran with 73 career starts. His record in those starts is 23-50, according to CBS Sports. Baltimore would be his seventh team. So no, this isn’t a savior. It’s a veteran who knows how to run an offense and can keep the lights on.
He also arrives with some fresh motivation. Brissett started Arizona’s first eight games, then lost the job to Gardner Minshew II last Sunday and slid to third on the depth chart this week. ESPN reports, citing an unnamed source, that he asked for a trade Monday after coach Mike LaFleur told him about the change. LaFleur called it “not a fun phone call.”
(Understatement of the week, probably.)
The fit has a few built-in connections. Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork held the same job in Arizona in 2025, so he has already worked with Brissett. Passing game coordinator Marcus Brady was on the Colts staff when Brissett played there from 2018 to 2020. Those ties make Brissett to Baltimore a smoother landing than most midseason moves.
Here’s the thing for Ravens fans, bettors and fantasy managers
Baltimore is 4-4 and sits at the bottom of the AFC North. If you hold Ravens skill players in fantasy, or you bet their games, the quarterback you were counting on is gone for now. Brissett is a steadier option than a rookie, but he’s not Lamar. For a sense of how Baltimore’s slide fits into the bigger conference picture, see our look at the AFC’s crowded race for the top seed.
There is a small silver lining. The Ravens get an 11-day break after Thursday’s game, which gives Brissett time to learn the playbook. If he plays, he’d be the fourth Ravens quarterback to throw a pass this year. Our weekly NFL picks will track how Baltimore fares once he’s in the lineup.
What we don’t know about the Brissett trade
Nobody has reported the price tag. Cardinals-focused outlet Sports Illustrated expects a late-round pick, but that’s its own guess, not a sourced report.
Brissett’s debut date is also murky. Outlets differ on whether the Chargers game is Nov. 15 or Monday, Nov. 16, so check the schedule before you plan your night. Several outlets say he is expected to start, but the Ravens haven’t announced that.
Jackson’s return timeline is also still a question mark, and that’s the bigger story. Until then, Baltimore’s season rides on a 33-year-old whom Arizona benched a few days ago. Funny how a week can change a résumé’s value.
