Ravens trade for Jacoby Brissett after losing Lamar Jackson to thumb surgery

The Baltimore Ravens traded for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Friday, sending a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-rounder to Arizona for Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round selection, ESPN reported.

The Ravens lost starter Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury that will require surgery and backup Tyler Huntley to turf toe. Jackson was placed on injured reserve before Thursday’s 33-10 loss to Jacksonville, his third missed game. Huntley will miss the rest of the season.

Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano started against the Jaguars and went 10-for-18 for 60 yards with two interceptions. The Ravens have been held under 14 points for four straight games, a franchise record. They have lost by 20 or more points in three straight games for the first time in their 31-year history.

Brissett had been benched by the Cardinals, who named Gardner Minshew II their starter. Brissett asked for a trade Monday after coach Mike LaFleur told him about the demotion.

What the coverage missed

ESPN’s report covers the trade and the injury. It does not dwell on what the Ravens were before this.

Baltimore started the season 4-1 and looked like a contender. Jackson was playing at an MVP level. The offense was scoring. The defense was holding. Then Jackson hurt his thumb, and everything collapsed.

The Ravens are now 4-5. They have lost four straight. Their offense has scored 10, 6, 10 and 10 points in those games. Fagnano, the third-stringer, was overmatched Thursday. The trade for Brissett is an admission that the season is not lost yet, but it is close.

Brissett is not a savior. He is a 33-year-old journeyman who started 20 games for the Cardinals and was benched. He was sacked 62 times in that stretch, tied for most in the NFL. He is tough and experienced and will not turn the ball over the way Fagnano did. He is also not the kind of quarterback who wins games by himself.

The Cardinals restructured Brissett’s contract before the trade, converting $2.7 million of his remaining $5.4 million salary into a signing bonus. The Ravens will owe him $2.43 million. The deal is cheap for a starting quarterback, which tells you what the market thinks of Brissett.

What I think

The trade is the right move. The Ravens had to do something. Fagnano is not ready. Huntley is done. Jackson may not come back. Brissett gives them a chance to compete, if not contend.

The question is whether it matters. The Ravens are 4-5 with four straight losses. Their remaining schedule includes games against the Chiefs, Steelers and Bengals. Even with competent quarterback play, winning enough of those to make the playoffs is a stretch.

Brissett will reunite with Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, who worked with him in Arizona and Cleveland. That familiarity should help. But the Ravens’ problems go beyond quarterback. The defense has given up 33, 29, 27 and 33 points in the last four games. Brissett cannot fix that.

The trade deadline is Nov. 10. The Ravens made their move early. If Brissett plays well and the defense steadies, they have a chance. If not, the season is over, and the focus shifts to whether Jackson returns healthy in 2027.