The Arizona Cardinals are turning Jacoby Brissett into draft capital, and that alone makes this a clean win for them.
Brissett is reportedly headed to the Baltimore Ravens, with the deal expected to be completed this weekend. The return hasn’t been finalized yet, but Arizona is expected to land a low Day 3 pick - somewhere in the sixth or seventh round - for a quarterback who had already been pushed down to No. 3 on the depth chart.
For the Cardinals, that’s the kind of move that comes after the door has already been shut. Brissett was benched in Week 8 against Dallas, when Gardner Minshew entered in the third quarter and sparked four straight scoring drives in an upset over the Cowboys. From there, the path was obvious: a demotion first, then a trade.
That turn came after Brissett held out for a new contract and helped drag Arizona into a rough start in 2026, putting pressure on the team to make a change at quarterback.
“That’s not easy. It’s not a fun phone call," Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said of benching Brissett ahead of Week 9.
"There’s no book for that. There’s a human element to it.
I have a lot of respect for Jacoby, the person. I have a lot of respect for Jacoby, the player.
Like I told you guys yesterday, it was not all on him. This was collective and starting with me, but the position that those guys sign up for, we know the deal.
We needed a spark and obviously Gardner gave us one.”
Baltimore, meanwhile, is dealing with a quarterback room that has been hit hard almost all at once. Lamar Jackson is out with a thumb injury, Tyler “Snoop” Huntley is dealing with turf toe, and Brissett won’t arrive in time for Thursday Night Football against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Even so, the fit makes sense for both sides. The Ravens get a veteran passer with prior experience working with their quarterbacks coach, Israel Woolfork. The Cardinals get something back for a player they no longer needed, while also opening the runway for rookie Carson Beck to eventually see the field.
And Arizona may not be finished dealing yet. Josh Sweat and Budda Baker have also been mentioned in trade rumors, so this could be only one piece of a larger deadline shuffle.
In Other News...
Cardinals QB Workout Suddenly Puts The Focus On A Bigger Move
The Cardinals spent part of the week taking a closer look at depth options, bringing in seven players for tryouts that included one quarterback, three running backs and three receivers. The group featured a mix of NFL experience, with names such as Ulysses Bentley, Jermar Jefferson, Elijah Tau-Tolliver, Joseph Manjack and Jamari Thrash among those getting a look as Arizona keeps working through roster churn.
The timing matters because the club is already dealing with injuries at receiver, and the quarterback workout adds another layer to what has been a busy stretch. Arizona has been active in scanning the market for help, and a routine tryout day suddenly feels more like part of a larger roster picture, one that could still shift before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Quarterback Plans
Arizonas quarterback room has been shifting for a while, and the latest move only sharpens the picture. Jacoby Brissett is on his way out, with Baltimore finalizing a trade to bring him in as it deals with injuries at the position. For the Cardinals, it is another sign that the pecking order has moved well beyond where Brissett stood when the season opened.
Brissett had already been pushed down to third string in Arizona, behind Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, so the writing was on the wall even before the trade talks picked up. The deal is expected to be completed by the weekend, which means he will not be available for the Ravens Week 9 game, but it also leaves the Cardinals continuing to sort out what their quarterback depth chart looks like going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Have A Shot At A Defensive Star Arizona Hates To Lose
The trade deadline chatter around Arizona has started to turn from background noise into something more substantive, and Budda Baker is right in the middle of it. ESPNs Jeremy Fowler reported that the Cardinals safety is viewed around the league as a potential trade candidate, with teams such as the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars mentioned as possible suitors as clubs sort through their needs and Arizona weighs its own roster direction.
Baker is not the only name being floated, either, as the Cardinals contract situations and transition under center have put other veterans on the radar in recent days. Josh Sweat and Jacoby Brissett have also come up in the broader discussion, which is the kind of deadline buzz that can linger for a few days before it either hardens into action or fades away without a move. [Read more 🡒]