The Baltimore Ravens are finalizing a trade to acquire veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals. The deal, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, comes as Baltimore faces a sudden crisis in its quarterback room following a thumb injury to starter Lamar Jackson and a season-ending turf toe injury to backup Tyler Huntley.
Cardinals Bench Brissett After Dallas Comeback
Brissett started the first eight games of the season for Arizona, completing 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. However, his tenure as the starter came to an abrupt end during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. With Arizona trailing 17-3 in the third quarter, head coach Mike LaFleur benched Brissett in favor of Gardner Minshew II.
Trade: the Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a trade to send QB Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens, per @RapSheet and me. Deal is expected to be completed this weekend. The Ravens lost QB Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury, and his backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley to turf toe. pic.twitter.com/sGpFSxYc5u
Minshew engineered a 33-30 overtime victory, throwing three touchdown passes. Following the game, LaFleur named Minshew the starter, promoted rookie Carson Beck to backup, and demoted Brissett to third-string.
The parting brings an end to a turbulent stretch for Brissett in Arizona. After replacing Kyler Murray last season, Brissett held out for a reworked contract during the offseason, opting not to participate in much of Arizona’s offseason program. He ultimately received a guaranteed $15.5 million for 2026, replacing a deal that originally called for a $4.88 million base salary and $1.5 million guaranteed.
Across his career, the signal-caller has spent time with multiple franchises. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round in 2016 to back up Tom Brady, and later had stints with the Indianapolis Colts from 2017 to 2020, the Miami Dolphins, the Cleveland Browns, and the Washington Commanders before returning to New England for the 2024 campaign and eventually heading west to Arizona.
Ravens Scramble After Injuries to Jackson and Huntley
In Baltimore, the 4-4 Ravens faced an immediate crisis when Lamar Jackson suffered a thumb injury requiring surgery, while Tyler Huntley sustained a turf toe injury that will end his season. With undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano set to start Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars alongside inexperienced backups Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed, the front office moved quickly to acquire an 11-year veteran.
Brissett will not join the active roster in time for the Jacksonville matchup. However, he is expected to make his Monday Night Football debut against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 15.
Familiarity With Ravens Coaching Staff
The transition to a new offense should be smoothed by existing relationships. Brissett will reunite with Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, with whom he worked last season in Arizona and in Cleveland in 2022.
Out of respect for the process, I’ll let the process play out with that,
Mike LaFleur, Cardinals head coach
LaFleur declined to confirm the transaction in detail during a Wednesday press conference, noting only that he expected everything to conclude within a few days. The trade is expected to be finalized over the weekend.
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