Ravens Acquire Veteran Quarterback Brissett Amid Injury Crisis
Baltimore will trade for Jacoby Brissett from Arizona as Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley sit out with severe injuries.
By Riya Zhao ·
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The transaction is expected to close this weekend. Compensation details have not yet been finalized.
The move addresses a sudden shortage of healthy passers in Baltimore. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson required surgery on a thumb injury during his first pass attempt against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. That injury may end his season. Backup Tyler Huntley entered the game but suffered a season-ending turf toe injury. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who is managing an ankle issue, is currently the projected starter for Thursday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brissett spent the last two seasons in Arizona. The Cardinals demoted him to third-stringer earlier this week. That shift occurred after Gardner Minshew threw three touchdowns in a 33-30 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Brissett completed 10 of 23 passes for 119 yards and one interception before being replaced in that game.
The 34-year-old has completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in eight games this year. CBS Sports Research notes that his 75.6 yards per game to tight end Trey McBride through Week 8 represented the highest output for a quarterback-tight end pairing since 1970. This will be Brissett’s second career trade and his seventh team.
Brissett has started 73 games with a 23-50 record. He has thrown 86 more touchdowns than the other healthy quarterbacks on the Ravens roster combined. His career interception rate of 1.5% is tied for the second-lowest in NFL history, trailing only Aaron Rodgers’ 1.4% mark. In the past 365 days, Brissett is one of five quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
The trade also improves Brissett’s own defensive environment. The Cardinals have allowed 32.6 points per game over the last calendar year, which is four points higher than any other NFL team. The Ravens have allowed 22.6 points per game in that same span. Baltimore currently holds a 4-4 record and sits in last place in the AFC North.
