The Baltimore Ravens are acquiring veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, DAZN reported. Brissett, a 23-50 career starter who has rarely played for a roster as talented as Baltimore’s, becomes the seventh NFL franchise to employ him — and the emergency answer to a quarterback crisis that unfolded in the span of a single afternoon in Buffalo.
The deal will not be finalized until this weekend, when compensation for Arizona is set, according to ESPN and NFL Network. That timeline means Brissett cannot play Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, whom the Ravens designated their starter Tuesday, will handle that game. Brissett is expected to make his Baltimore debut in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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 until this weekend. The Ravens lost QB Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury, and his backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley to turf… pic.twitter.com/BYEqcHA1jq
How the Ravens lost two quarterbacks in one game at Buffalo
The crisis began on the Ravens’ first play from scrimmage Sunday. Lamar Jackson, playing for the first time in a month, injured the thumb on his throwing hand and left the 36-10 loss to the Bills. USA Today reported that Jackson will have surgery and may not play again this season.
Backup Tyler Huntley, who entered in relief, suffered a turf toe injury and gave way to Fagnano, whose regular-season debut ended with the defeat. Huntley has since been ruled out for the season, the Ravens’ medical updates confirmed.
Fagnano himself was not unscathed. The rookie suffered a minor ankle injury in practice earlier this week — one more reason Baltimore moved to add a veteran with 73 career starts rather than rely on a quarterback room that also includes recently signed Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed, neither of whom has started a regular-season NFL game, according to USA Today.
What the Cardinals get — and what Brissett costs them
The trade terms remain unannounced, but the financial picture is clear. Brissett signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal to remain Arizona’s starter in 2026 after the Cardinals parted with Kyler Murray in the offseason, USA Today reported. He will be owed the remaining portion of his $9.7 million base salary, and the Ravens and Cardinals could negotiate how much each side pays. Arizona remains on the hook for $7.2 million in dead cap money in 2027, a void year in Brissett’s contract.
For the rebuilding Cardinals, the logic is simple: with Gardner Minshew now the starter and rookie Carson Beck promoted to primary backup, Brissett had become a third-string quarterback. USA Today noted that if Arizona can get something for a QB3, there is little reason not to move him.
| Brissett contract detail | Figure | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 contract | One year, $15.5 million | Negotiated after Cardinals moved on from Kyler Murray |
| Remaining base salary owed | $9.7 million | Ravens and Cardinals may split the cost |
| Dead cap hit for Arizona in 2027 | $7.2 million | Void year in Brissett’s contract |
Brissett’s numbers: experience against a modest record
The contrast in Brissett’s résumé is the heart of this trade. The Patriots selected him 91st overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, and in 10 seasons he has appeared in 109 games, starting 73, with 16,485 passing yards, 86 touchdowns and 39 interceptions, DAZN reported. His 23-50 starting record is modest — but USA Today noted he has rarely played on teams as talented as Baltimore, which will become his seventh franchise.
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
This season with Arizona, Brissett completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, a 79.7 passer rating, and won three of his eight starts — though he was credited with the win Sunday in Dallas even though Minshew spearheaded the comeback after replacing him.
There is also a built-in coaching connection. Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, in his first year in Baltimore, worked with Brissett last season in Arizona, when Brissett replaced an injured Murray and started 12 games, throwing 23 touchdowns while elevating the Cardinals’ offensive play even as the team went 1-11 with him under center, USA Today reported.
Why now: talks began Sunday, intensified Tuesday
Discussions around the trade began Sunday, shortly after the Bills game, and intensified Tuesday afternoon, ESPN reported. With Jackson’s return date unclear and Huntley out for the year, Baltimore’s only alternative to Brissett was handing the offense to a rookie who had never started an NFL game.
The Ravens, at 4-4 and in last place in the AFC North after the Buffalo loss, are clearly not conceding the season, USA Today reported. Brissett is expected to start once Jackson’s return is determined, with Fagnano sliding into the backup role — giving the rookie room to develop rather than forcing him to carry the offense every week.
The on-field adjustment for Baltimore’s offense
Brissett is not a mobile quarterback, unlike Jackson and Huntley. That means rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle — who worked with mobile Caleb Williams in Chicago last season — will likely have to significantly alter the game plan for Brissett, USA Today reported. Brissett has had no professional overlap with Doyle or Bears coach Ben Johnson.
Whether Brissett can stabilize a spiraling season is an open question, even among those covering the team closely. DAZN’s NFL analysis framed it this way: Baltimore is in a difficult stretch, with no clear return date for Jackson and Huntley done for the year, but Brissett’s experience makes him a steadying presence — a bridge who can keep the offense functional while Fagnano develops behind him.
What happens next for both teams
Thursday night belongs to Fagnano against the AFC South-leading Jaguars. Brissett’s first Ravens start is expected in Week 10 against the Chargers. For Arizona, Minshew takes over as starter and Beck gets the backup job — but with Minshew on an expiring contract, it is not clear who the Cardinals’ quarterback will be in 2027, USA Today noted.
Brissett’s Ravens debut timing explained
When will Jacoby Brissett play for the Ravens? Not Thursday against Jacksonville — the trade won’t be finalized until this weekend. Reports from ESPN and NFL Network indicate he is expected to debut in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Baltimore went from MVP QB to emergency group chat in one week Lamar (thumb) is out, Huntley's season is over (turf toe), and the Ravens are reportedly landing Jacoby Brissett from Arizona. First up: undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano on TNF vs. Jacksonville.#NFL
Who starts for Baltimore on Thursday night? Joe Fagnano, the undrafted rookie who made his NFL debut in the loss to Buffalo. The Ravens named him the starter Tuesday.
How serious is Lamar Jackson’s injury? Jackson injured the thumb on his throwing hand on Baltimore’s first play Sunday and will have surgery, USA Today reported. He may not return this season.
What are the Cardinals getting in return? The compensation has not been announced and will be set this weekend, according to ESPN and NFL Network.
How much is Brissett owed? He signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal in 2026, with $9.7 million in remaining base salary that the Ravens and Cardinals may negotiate splitting, per USA Today.
The open question hanging over all of it: with Jackson’s return uncertain and Huntley out for the season, Brissett is now Baltimore’s quarterback of the present — and the one who has to answer whether a 4-4 team can still salvage its season.
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