The Baltimore Ravens quarterback situation has only deflated further in the last four days, but it at least came a week before the NFL trade deadline.
Baltimore traded with the Arizona Cardinals for quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Wednesday, according to reporters via the team’s website. The Ravens needed to make the move with both starter Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley out with injuries.
Jackson is out indefinitely with a right thumb injury, and he hasn’t played a full game since before the Oct. 4 against the Tennessee Titans, in which he left injured. Meanwhile, Huntley’s recent turf toe injury is season-ending according to reports posted on the team’s website.
Huntley sustained his injury during the second quarter of the Ravens’ 36–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, forcing fellow Ravens backup rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano into action. Fagnano, an undrafted free agent from UConn, completed 47.6 percent of his passes for 91 yards, and threw one interception.
Ravens Whittled Down to Little QB Experience
Without Jackson and Huntley, the Ravens suddenly had a highly inexperienced quarterback room occupied by Fagnano, Austin Reed, and Kedon Slovis. The Ravens will have to roll with those three on Thursday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Baltimore will likely have Brissett ready for the Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
It behooved the Ravens to make the move, as the team is at 4–4 with a chance to still make the playoffs. The Ravens had lost three consecutive games with Huntley or Fagnano taking the lion’s share of the snaps, though Baltimore had a 3–1 start when Jackson was healthy.
Baltimore is hitting a stretch of teams with losing records in the Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the Ravens can win through that stretch, after the Jaguars, an 8–5 record would make it realistic to push for a playoff spot in December.
Jacoby Brissett Has Filled In for Many Big-Name QBs
Brissett has been a journeyman backup since the New England Patriots took him with a third-round pick out of N.C. State in the 2016 draft, and he has been filling in for big-name quarterbacks all along. It began with two starts in 2016 with the Patriots while former quarterback Tom Brady served a suspension due to the Deflategate scandal.
Brissett showed instant promise with the Patriots, completing 61.8 percent of his passes for 400 yards and went 1–1 as a rookie backup, filling in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo at the time. The Indianapolis Colts traded for Brissett in 2017, and he ended up with 15 starts that year amid injuries for former quarterback Andrew Luck.
Brissett showed the league that he could fill in for a whole season, as he completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 3,098 yards and 13 touchdowns versus seven interceptions. He also rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns on 63 carries in that span.
Opportunity arrived for Brissett again in 2019 when Luck suddenly retired due to ongoing injury problems. Brissett led the Colts to a 7–8 record, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards and 18 touchdowns versus six interceptions. He also rushed for 228 yards and four touchdowns on 56 carries.
Brissett landed another chance to start multiple games in 2021 with the Miami Dolphins, where he signed before the season. Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down with a rib injury, and Brissett stepped in for five starts. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,283 yards and five touchdowns versus four interceptions, and rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Brissett then took over for Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns in 2022 after signing with the team before the season.
Brissett Looks to Bounce Back From Time With Cardinals
Brissett’s last stint with the Cardinals had its ups and downs, as he took over for former Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray last season. While the Cardinals struggled, Brissett had a career year with a 64.9 percent completion rate for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns versus eight interceptions, and he rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.
Brissett then took the starting job this year as the Cardinals released Murray, but Brissett lost the starting job to Gardner Minshew after eight games. Thus far in 2026, Brissett has a 63.3 percent completion rate for 1,719 yards and 10 touchdowns versus seven picks, and has rushed for 87 yards and a score on 29 attempts.
Brissett joins a Ravens team that features star running back Derrick Henry and has solid pass catchers in wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews.
