The Baltimore Ravens’ once-promising season is quickly slipping away, as they have lost three consecutive games and fallen to last place in the AFC North. The Ravens are also dealing with a major quarterback crisis following injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Baltimore is reportedly finalizing a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Jacoby Brissett to stabilize its struggling offense. However, Brissett’s potential arrival raises questions about his availability for the Ravens’ Week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars and when he could make his debut.

Why Isn’t Jacoby Brissett Starting for Ravens in Week 9 vs. Jaguars?

Brissett will not be available for the Ravens’ matchup against the Jaguars on Thursday night because his trade will not be officially completed in time for the game. However, once the transaction is finalized, he can make his Ravens debut in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Baltimore’s quarterback situation has become complicated following a series of injuries. Jackson would undergo surgery to address his thumb injury, as it could be a season-ending blow.

Joe Fagnano, who was initially designated as the emergency third quarterback on the Ravens’ inactive list Sunday, was forced into action against the Buffalo Bills after Huntley also sustained a toe injury.

Huntley has reportedly been ruled out for the remainder of the season because of turf toe, leaving Fagnano as Baltimore’s current starting quarterback. Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed are expected to serve as his backups.

Baltimore is expected to have Fagnano, Slovis, and practice-squad quarterback Austin Reed available Thursday. However, their combined NFL experience is extremely limited, as the trio has yet to make a single career start.

The ongoing quarterback injuries have significantly affected Baltimore’s offense, as the Ravens have failed to score more than 13 points in three consecutive games, marking the first time the franchise has experienced such a stretch since 2005. They currently sit No. 25 in the PFN’s NFL Offense Impact Rankings with a 71.5 grade.

Why Are the Ravens Trading for Jacoby Brissett?

Brissett became available after the Cardinals made a big change to their quarterback depth chart earlier this week. He was demoted to third-string duties after Arizona named Gardner Minshew II its starting quarterback, while Carson Beck was promoted to the backup role.

Discussion about a potential trade sending Brissett to Baltimore reportedly began Sunday following the games, but negotiations gained momentum on Tuesday afternoon.

NFL insider James Palmer explained that Jackson’s injury forced Baltimore to reconsider its quarterback situation. The Ravens were never expected to finish the season with their existing quarterback group, but they also had little intention of sacrificing significant draft capital or other assets to acquire another quarterback through a trade.

Palmer also noted that Arizona’s decision to place Brissett behind Minshew and Beck on the depth chart effectively signaled to other NFL teams that the Cardinals were willing to move on from their former starter. That made it easier for interested teams to pursue a potential trade without giving up substantial compensation.

Brissett’s experience as a starter could provide some much-needed stability to a Ravens offense that has struggled amid its recent quarterback injuries.