Ravens Closing In on Jacoby Brissett as Lamar Jackson Sits

The Baltimore Ravens are heading to acquire quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, a person with knowledge of the trade told the Associated Press on Wednesday. The deal has not been completed, and that person spoke on condition of anonymity.

The reason for the move is simple. Baltimore is 4-4, and its starter, Lamar Jackson, is out indefinitely after a right thumb injury that requires surgery. Backup Tyler Huntley has a toe injury and reportedly will miss the rest of the season. That leaves undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano to start Thursday night against Jacksonville, which is 5-2.

Brissett, 33, would be the stopgap. He was drafted by New England in the third round in 2016 to back up Tom Brady, and he has since played for six NFL teams, including two stints with the Patriots. Over 11 seasons he has a 23-50 record as a starter.

His 2026 season in Arizona has been a bumpy one. He started eight games before being moved down to third-string quarterback, the third name on the depth chart. Rookie Carson Beck is now the Cardinals' backup, which left Brissett with no clear role. Through this season he has completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

If the trade goes through, Brissett would probably start for Baltimore against the Chargers on November 15. That is a quick turnaround, and it is the kind of situation where a veteran who has taken a lot of snaps can be useful. A quarterback who has been around the league is often easier to plug in than a rookie learning on the fly.

Arizona is still playing. Gardner Minshew led the Cardinals to a 33-30 comeback win at Dallas, and the team now has its backups lined up behind Kyler Murray's replacement plan. Brissett had been under contract with the Cardinals through next season, so any deal would move that money to Baltimore.

Time is tight. The NFL trade deadline is November 10 at 4 p.m. Eastern, so the Ravens and Cardinals have a few days to finish the paperwork.

For Ravens fans, the open question is whether a veteran with a losing career record as a starter can keep Baltimore in the race while Jackson recovers. That is speculation until the games are played. The first test could come against the Chargers in about 11 days.