Baltimore Ravens Face Quarterback Crisis Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
The Baltimore Ravens are scrambling to find a viable signal-caller before Tuesday’s trade deadline after a devastating wave of injuries dismantled their quarterback room. Sitting in last place in the division with a 4-4 record, the team saw its championship aspirations take a severe hit when Lamar Jackson suffered a thumb injury during a 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Jackson underwent surgery, landed on injured reserve, and faces the very real possibility of missing the remainder of the season.
The situation worsened immediately when backup Tyler Huntley suffered a season-ending turf toe injury in the same stretch. That forced undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into action against Buffalo, where he completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards and one interception. Fagnano is now nursing an ankle injury and remains questionable for the Ravens’ Week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, prompting Baltimore to add Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed to the roster as emergency depth. With Fagnano likely joining Anthony Brown as the only undrafted rookies to start a game for the franchise, general manager Eric DeCosta must decide whether to mortgage future assets for an external savior or ride out the storm with patchwork options.
Three Trade Targets for Baltimore’s Front Office
The Ravens are weighing three distinct trade candidates to salvage their season, each presenting a different financial and competitive gamble.
The most conventional plug-and-play option is Jacoby Brissett of the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona recently demoted Brissett to third-string status, handing the backup reins to rookie Carson Beck behind starter Gardner Minshew. Brissett was pulled in the third quarter of Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys after Minshew engineered a furious fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime. Despite the demotion, Brissett has put up respectable numbers this year, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across eight games. He also boasts historic chemistry with tight end Trey McBride, averaging 75.6 yards per game to him entering Week 8—the highest mark for a quarterback-tight end combination since 1970. While he won’t command Pro Bowl consideration, Brissett offers an experienced, borderline starter floor that immediately outclasses an undrafted rookie or career third-stringer.
For a team willing to swing for maximum upside, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson represents the most intriguing gamble. The former No. 4 overall pick out of the University of Florida hasn’t started a game since 2024, but his physical tools remain among the most athletic quarterback prospects we’ve ever seen. The 24-year-old owns an 8-7 record as a starter, completing 50.9 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 18 career appearances. Consistency and durability have plagued his brief career, yet a change of scenery could unlock his potential much like early flashes from J.J. McCarthy with the New York Giants. Richardson's dual-threat rushing ability—averaging 40 yards per game on the ground with 10 rushing scores in his first two seasons—would create a nightmare read-option pairing alongside star running back Derrick Henry.
The final option circulating in trade discussions is Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent, whose familiarity with new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle makes him a natural schematic fit. Bagent carved out a remarkable NFL path after going undrafted in 2023 out of Shepherd University, a Division II program in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, earning a spot on Chicago’s initial 53-man roster and later defeating the Carolina Panthers in prime time during his rookie year. Although he signed a two-year, $10 million extension in 2025, Bagent has struggled this season, throwing for 268 yards and an interception in a Week 4 win over the New York Jets before stumbling with 87 yards and two picks in a 31-7 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers. The asking price remains the ultimate hurdle for Baltimore; if Chicago general manager Ryan Poles demands a fourth-round draft pick in return, it should be “thanks but no thanks.”
Thursday night’s game against Jacksonville looms large, and the front office has mere days to determine if a blockbuster trade can keep the Ravens’ season alive.
More on Brissett
Trade: the Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a trade to send QB Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens, per @RapSheet and me. Deal is expected to be completed this weekend. The Ravens lost QB Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury, and his backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley to turf toe. pic.twitter.com/sGpFSxYc5u
