QB-needy Ravens complete trade with Cardinals for Jacoby Brissett after disheartening 'Thursday Night Football' loss

Help is officially on the way for the Baltimore Ravens, who completed their trade with the Arizona Cardinals for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Friday, the teams announced .

The Ravens are receiving Brissett, whom the Cardinals benched mid-game last week before Gardner Minshew orchestrated an epic road comeback versus the Dallas Cowboys . Plus, Baltimore is getting a 2027 fifth-round pick from Arizona, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

The Cardinals also paid a little more than half of Brissett's remaining 2026 salary to tie off the trade, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport .

Arizona is reportedly gaining a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round selection in the exchange.

News of the deal was first reported earlier this week , but the transaction wasn't finalized before the Ravens' "Thursday Night Football" matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since Lamar Jackson and his backup, Tyler "Snoop" Huntley, landed on injured reserve — with thumb and turf toe injuries, respectively — Baltimore had to start 25-year-old undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano , who wasn't entirely healthy, either.

Fagnano battled through injury, as evidenced by his heavily wrapped right ankle . The rain in Baltimore certainly didn't make things any easier. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle deployed a large dosage of Wildcat plays. When Fagnano did throw, he practically never pushed the ball downfield, finishing with only 60 yards on 10-of-18 passing. He was picked off twice in a 33-10 Jaguars victory that dropped the Ravens to 4-5 .

Baltimore is in last place in a crowded AFC North that's led by the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers and also includes the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals and 5-3 Cleveland Browns.

The arrival of Brissett will far from guarantee a Ravens bounce-back. While Brissett is a serviceable NFL signal-caller, the journeyman went just 4-16 as the Cardinals' starter, and the last of those wins really belongs to Minshew. The 33-year-old Brissett — who has also started games for the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Browns — is 23rd among all qualifying NFL passers this season in EPA per dropback (-0.11), according to Next Gen Stats.

Whereas Brissett had his fair share of success going deep last season with the Cardinals, under now-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, he struggled mightily in that department within the system used by first-year Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur. Per Pro Football Focus, Brissett is a mere 5 of 28 on passes traveling at least 20 air yards during the 2026 campaign.

Nevertheless, his experience will be welcomed, especially after Baltimore floundered throughout their embarrassing primetime defeat on Thursday night.

Prior to the execution of the Brissett trade, the Cardinals restructured his contract, turning $2.7 million of his remaining $5.4 million salary into a signing bonus, as reported by ESPN's Field Yates . The Ravens are reportedly due to pay Brissett a base salary of $2.43 million, although he has incentives in his deal that allow him to earn more money.

Baltimore will have a week and a half to prepare Brissett for a potential Week 10 start against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Unfortunately for Jesse Minter's Ravens, they have more issues on their claws than just the QB position. Once a possible Super Bowl contender, Baltimore has dropped four straight games. Although its offense has been hamstrung by a cascade of injuries at the sport's most important spot, its defense hasn't stepped up.

That unit's giving up gobs of second-half points, and now three-time All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton's status is up in the air after he exited Thursday's game with a hip injury.