Help is on the way in Baltimore.

After losing both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley in their loss to the Bills on Sunday, the Ravens are finalizing a trade for Jacoby Brissett, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Per Rapoport, the deal is expected to be finished over the weekend, or after the Ravens play the Jaguars on Thursday night, a game in which undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano is slated to start for Baltimore. 

Brissett, meanwhile, is on the move after he was benched for Gardner Minshew II in the second half of the Cardinals’ win over the Cowboys. Minshew led Arizona to a 33–30 win over Dallas, and was named the team’s starter. With Brissett no longer the starter in the desert, it naturally made sense for the Cardinals to move on. 

As Brissett heads for Baltimore, here is how both teams fared in the trade.

Ravens

The Ravens desperately needed help at quarterback amid injuries at the position, and Brissett was the obvious answer. 

Jackson sustained a broken finger that will require surgery and potentially keep him out for the remainder of the season. On Wednesday, ESPN reported that Huntley sustained a season-ending turf-toe injury. So, the Ravens needed help in the quarterback room. They’ve filled that need by bringing in a bridge quarterback in Brissett. 

Brissett is a great option for the Ravens’ situation. He’s experienced and gives the Ravens a solid starter for the remainder of the season. This year, he’s completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While he might not be the best quarterback on the market, he will give the Ravens a chance to win games and remain respectable on offense. He also is not costly and won’t mortgage the team’s future as they manage a desperate situation. As Rapoport pointed out, the move will also reunite Brissett with Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, who coached him in Arizona in 2025, providing him with some familiarity in his new stop. 

Since the return on the trade has not been announced, this trade earns a tentative grade of a “B+” because the Ravens found a good option at quarterback in a dire situation. Depending on how much the Ravens gave up, the grade could change. 

Grade: B+

Cardinals

The Cardinals have decided to move on to Minshew and promoted third-round rookie Carson Beck to the backup job, making Brissett the team’s third-string quarterback. With limited quarterback options in the 2026 NFL draft, it made sense for Brissett to serve as a bridge option for the Cardinals in their first season under Mike LaFleur. They are rolling with Minshew for now, but at some point, it makes sense for them to turn to Beck.

Given the timing of the benching and the trade deadline next week, it made sense for the Cardinals to move on from Brissett and get some compensation in return while they had the opportunity. Since Brissett was a bridge starter and slated to become a free agent next offseason, it’s a plus that Arizona is getting a form of return while they can.  

Like the Ravens, the Cardinals earned a tentative “B+” for the trade. It is a positive that they got something for him, especially since he was no longer going to start. 

Grade: B+