The Baltimore Ravens wasted no time in addressing their significant quarterback issues as the team began the season with a deal for Jacoby Brissett, who began the season as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
Brissett had a solid start to the season before beginning to regress to the middle along with the rest of the Cardinals organization. In eight starts, he had 1,719 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Given that three of Brissett’s picks came in one awful Week 4 game against the Giants, those stats are a little better than they look on paper.
What we don’t know right now is what the Ravens are giving up. It’s an awkward situation with Adam Schefter stating that a trade with the Ravens won’t happen until the weekend. Thursday night footballso judge it based on the trade itself — we’re looking at different criteria for both teams. We’ll follow up when we learn more about the deal itself.
Brissett is the best fit the Ravens can find
Brissett is far from a perfect quarterback, but this is a solid fit for the Ravens. What they need at this point is someone who can take care of the football and stretch the field to take pressure out of the box so that Derrick Henry has more room to run freely. Brissett does one of those things very well.
There’s no doubt that Brissett didn’t play flawless football in Arizona, but the Cardinals also lacked real weapons outside of Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, both of whom work best on intermediate routes. Having the best pass-rushing TE in football certainly helps and offensively, but the lack of an outside threat to deep down the field created a problem the Cardinals couldn’t solve.
It’s spinning in Baltimore. Zay Flowers is a very good pass catcher who can serve as the Ravens’ No. 1 target, and Rashod Bateman is also a guy who works best on deeper routes. Both receivers on average Over 15 yards per reception with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley under center, and that should continue with Brissett.
Perhaps most importantly, Baltimore found a cheap solution to its massive QB problem and the best in a thin market. Teams still in need of QBs will have to either try to convince the Raiders to waive Kirk Cousins (which won’t be easy with Las Vegas at 4-4) or settle for an incredible fall to the next quarterback that includes guys like Joe Flacco, Tyson Bagent and Tuagova.
In short: The Ravens didn’t find a perfect deal, but they could get the best guy they could have now without jeopardizing their future.
The Cardinals are doing well by embracing their future
I’m a total sucker for a team to realize itself, so I love this deal for Arizona – whatever it is. Brissett was signed to a one-year deal, so this is absolutely getting something for nothing, while also advancing their agenda to evaluate their future.
No one is under the illusion that Gardner Minshew will be the starting lineup in Arizona for the rest of the season. Obviously, the team is willing to give him a few games, then start evaluating Carson Beck when he’s ready to step up and get up to speed. It’s certainly the right move for a team that will likely draft in the Top 10 and face a QB decision in the 2027 draft.
Keeping Brissett was a sunk cost that did nothing for them. He didn’t think they would come at this point, and he shouldn’t. This will allow Brissett to make an impact for a team hoping to make a playoff push, while the Cardinals can continue their rebuild because Arizona is more competitive than it’s been given credit for this season.