Quarterback Roulette: Baltimore's Costly Bet on Jacoby Brissett

Baltimore is playing a dangerous game. After losing both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley to injured reserve following a loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Ravens have found themselves in a state of desperation. Their response, as Sportsnet first reported, was a frantic scramble for stability that resulted in a trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

According to reporting from ESPN's Ian Rapoport, the price for the 33-year-old Brissett is a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick. In exchange, the Cardinals are sending a 2027 fifth-round pick back to Baltimore. To facilitate the move, Rapoport reports the Cardinals covered slightly more than half of the remaining salary Brissett owed for the 2026 season.

**Opinion: The Price of Desperation**

From where I sit, this is a gamble that doesn't move the needle. Baltimore is trading away future assets for a player who was recently deemed expendable by Arizona. Brissett started the first eight games of the season for the Cardinals, but as Sportsnet notes, he was benched during a game against the Dallas Cowboys in favor of Gardner Minshew.

While the Ravens are desperate to avoid the disaster they witnessed on Thursday—where undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano struggled through a 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars—this trade feels like a panic move. Fagnano managed only 60 yards on 10-of-18 passing and threw two interceptions in that blowout. While Brissett is an upgrade over Fagnano, he is a stopgap, not a savior.

Baltimore is betting that a handful of future picks is a fair price for a veteran who couldn't hold onto his starting job in Arizona. The Ravens are now banking on Brissett to stabilize a sinking ship when he makes his debut in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the NFL, trading draft capital for a benched veteran is rarely a winning formula, but with their top two options on injured reserve, Baltimore has decided that any stability is worth the cost.