The Ravens are staring at a quarterback problem that has gone from bad to worse in a hurry. Lamar Jackson’s thumb injury on his first passing attempt in the eventual 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills required surgery, sent him to injured reserve and could end his season. Tyler Huntley then went down with a season-ending turf toe injury of his own.
That left undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano in the game against Buffalo, where he finished 10 of 21 for 91 yards and one interception. Now he’s dealing with an ankle injury and is considered questionable for Thursday’s Week 9 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore responded by adding Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed to the roster.
So the question is obvious: with the Ravens at 4-4 and in last place in the division, should they chase a real quarterback before next Tuesday’s trade deadline? Fagnano may end up joining Anthony Brown as the only undrafted rookie quarterbacks to start a game for the franchise, but the season is still alive enough to justify a swing. Here are three names Baltimore should be looking at.
Jacoby Brissett is the safest of the bunch. Arizona pushed him down to third string this week, with Mike LaFleur moving forward with Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck as the new No.
- Brissett was benched for Minshew in the third quarter of the Cardinals’ Week 8 game against the Dallas Cowboys, and Dallas then ripped off three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Arizona still won in the extra period, but the move followed.
Brissett hasn’t been a disaster this season. He’s completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games.
His 75.6 yards per game to Trey McBride entering Week 8 were the most by a QB-TE combo since 1970, minimum 15 games. He’s not going to wow anyone, but he’s a legitimate starter and a clear upgrade over an undrafted rookie or a career third-stringer.
If Baltimore wants more upside, Anthony Richardson is the swing. The former No. 4 overall pick out of Florida hasn’t started since 2024, but his physical tools still jump off the page.
The 24-year-old is 8-7 as a starter and has completed 50.9% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 18 games. Availability and consistency have been the issues in Indianapolis, but a fresh start could change the conversation.
Richardson also brings a run game element that would fit with Derrick Henry. In his first two seasons, he averaged 40 rushing yards per game and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. The idea here is simple: lean into the athleticism and let the read option do some damage.
Tyson Bagent is the other name to keep in mind, especially because of his familiarity with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Bagent has already carved out one of the more unusual NFL stories in recent memory.
Undrafted in 2023 out of Shepherd University, he impressed enough in his first preseason with Chicago to make the 53-man roster. As a rookie, he made four starts and even beat Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in prime time.
Chicago rewarded him with a two-year, $10 million extension in 2025, but this season has been rough. He threw for 268 yards and one interception in the Week 4 win over the New York Jets, then followed that with just 87 yards and two interceptions in a 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
That looks even worse next to 38-year-old Case Keenum’s 247 yards and two touchdowns in a primetime upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. And if Caleb Williams had to miss another start, there’s a real question about who Ben Johnson would turn to.
The final issue is price. If Ryan Poles wants a fourth-round pick for Bagent, the answer should be simple: "thanks but no thanks."
In Other News...
Cardinals Still Have A Real Opening In The NFC Race
After eight weeks, the NFC picture still has enough clutter around the edges to keep Arizona in the conversation. The Cardinals sit at 3-5, and while that record leaves plenty of ground to make up, the standings around them have not exactly hardened into an untouchable group. A few teams currently holding playoff spots are still sorting themselves out, and there are enough clubs hovering in the chase to keep the conference race from feeling settled.
Week 9 only sharpens that sense of opportunity, with a slate that could keep reshuffling the middle of the NFC. For Arizona, the task is simple even if the path is not: stay close long enough for the standings to keep mattering. The Cardinals do not need a perfect run to remain relevant, but they do need the kind of week-to-week traction that turns a distant opening into something more realistic. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Backfield Suddenly Looks Like A Survival Test
Arizona entered training camp feeling good about its running back depth, but the room has thinned fast enough to change the conversation around the offense. Tyler Allgeier was the lone healthy back available in the recent game against the Cowboys, and he handled the moment well, giving the Cardinals at least one steady option while the rest of the group dealt with injuries.
The bigger concern now is how quickly the depth chart can stabilize before the season gets away from them. Jeremiyah Loves ankle issue has put his status in question, and Bam Knights concussion has only added to the uncertainty, leaving the Cardinals to weigh whether a longer-term roster move is the best way to get some relief. For now, Allgeier and Evan Hull may be the names carrying the load, which is not exactly how this backfield looked when camp opened. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Took A Brutal National Hit After Losing To Arizona
The Cowboys overtime loss to the Cardinals did more than sting in the standings. It kicked off another round of national scrutiny, with Colin Cowherd using the defeat as a launching point to hammer Dallas for the kind of uneven play that has followed a roster loaded with talent but too often short on consistency. From Arizonas side, it was the kind of win that can expose a bigger problem for an opponent than just one bad afternoon.
Cowherds criticism centered on the broader direction of the Cowboys, arguing that the issues go beyond a single game and into how the team is being managed week to week. He pointed to the disconnect between the roster and the results, then suggested the pressure could keep building if the slide continues. For a Dallas team already under the microscope, the loss in Arizona has only made the conversation louder. [Read more 🡒]