Jacoby Brissett trade buzz grows after Cardinals demotion
Jacoby Brissett was demoted to third string by the Cardinals this week, and NFL insiders say the Ravens could pursue a trade for him with Lamar Jackson out.
Why Jacoby Brissett is trending
Jacoby Brissett is trending because the Arizona Cardinals demoted him to third string on Monday, dropping him behind new starter Gardner Minshew II and backup Carson Beck. The move came two days after Arizona pulled Brissett in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys, when he had thrown for 119 yards and an interception. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on NFL Live that the demotion raises questions about Brissett's future in Arizona, and both Schefter and colleague Dan Graziano have floated the Baltimore Ravens as a trade destination given Baltimore's quarterback shortage.
What is not yet known is whether Arizona actually plans to move on from Brissett before the trade deadline. Graziano wrote this week that the Ravens, an organization he does not see as the type to give up on a season, would be a team to watch if the Cardinals decide they are finished with Brissett. Beyond that insider speculation, nothing has been confirmed.
Baltimore's quarterback room is nearly empty
The interest traces back to Baltimore's own quarterback problems. Lamar Jackson returned Sunday against the Buffalo Bills after missing three games with an ankle sprain, but he left just a few plays into the game. Head coach Jesse Minter said afterward that Jackson needs thumb surgery and will go on injured reserve, which means at least four games out. Backup Tyler Huntley came in for Jackson but also exited with a turf toe injury and is expected to miss extended time as well.
That left the Ravens with Kedon Slovis and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who have a combined 23 career pass attempts, as the only healthy quarterbacks on the roster. Fagnano started against the Bills and completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards with an interception in a 36-10 loss. He is set to start again Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore also added quarterback Austin Reed to the practice squad on Monday. Reed went undrafted out of Western Kentucky in 2023 and has yet to appear in an NFL game, though he spent training camp with the Ravens.
What Brissett would bring to a QB-needy team
Brissett is in his 11th NFL season, and the Cardinals are the sixth team he has played for since the Patriots took him in the third round of the 2016 draft. He is 23-50 as a career starter, with a 62.1 percent completion rate, 86 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions. This season he has thrown for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He is not viewed as a franchise quarterback, but he is widely seen as a steady game manager, which fits what a desperate Ravens offense needs right now more than a long-term answer would. Whether that match actually happens depends on Arizona's own plans for Brissett, which remain unclear as of this week.
Facts per Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports. Opinion is the taproom's.