The Ravens have gone out and added a familiar kind of stopgap, acquiring Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals as they try to patch together their quarterback room after potential season-ending injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
It’s the kind of move that signals Baltimore is not interested in waving the white flag, even with the season suddenly looking very different. Brissett gives the Ravens an experienced hand at quarterback, and the reaction around the move has centered on the same basic idea: he may not change everything, but he is a real NFL passer in a room that badly needed one.
Nikhil Mehta said the trade fit the moment perfectly, calling Brissett “exactly the type of bridge passer I expected the team to pick up.” He also pointed to Joe Fagnano, saying the undrafted rookie out of UConn “simply is not ready to command an NFL offense.” Mehta added that Brissett can offer “a base level of play for as long as the Ravens need it,” while noting that whether that keeps the playoff hopes alive is another matter.
Mark Myers saw the move coming once Arizona pushed Brissett down to QB3 on its depth chart. He noted that Brissett’s season has not matched “2025 (when he had a 23/8 TD/INT ratio),” but said he still brings enough downfield ability to help Baltimore’s weapons more than the current healthy options.
Myers also guessed the compensation would likely be light, possibly a 5th-round pick or even a 6th-round pick, and said he’s hoping the offense becomes watchable. He also pointed to Brissett’s debut against the Chargers, adding, “Maybe a win against Los Angeles in primetime can give the team a spark.”
Not everyone liked the deal. Zach Canter was blunt in his criticism, saying, “I’m not a fan of this.”
He argued the move only makes sense if the Ravens believe Lamar Jackson will return this season and they want a veteran capable of keeping the team in playoff range. Even then, he said it still does not add up for a roster with issues across the board, especially on the offensive line.
Canter also questioned the defense, the coaching staff, and the overall direction of the team, saying the Ravens should be focused on selling tradeable pieces, locking in on the Lamar Jackson extension, and building toward a larger roster reset.
Dustin Cox took a more measured view, saying Baltimore needed “another competent quarterback in the building” and that Brissett may have been the best option available. He said Brissett could help make the offense more watchable, though he does not expect him to swing the team’s win total much.
If Jackson returns later in the year, Cox believes Brissett can at least keep the Ravens in the playoff hunt. He also said the move sends a message that the season is not being punted away.
Kevin McNelis focused on the stability Brissett brings. He said the veteran adds leadership and enough arm strength and deep-ball ability to be “serviceable,” which is more than Baltimore could say about the unknowns it had behind center before the trade.
McNelis also flagged the two biggest questions now: what the Ravens gave up to get him, and whether they can keep him healthy. Even if the deal ends up amounting to little, he said Baltimore can at least say it tried, and that the front office will always lean toward competing if it thinks the roster can still be salvaged.
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