Ravens emerge as potential landing spot for Cardinals quarterback

There is a new potential playoff contender in quarterback turmoil, as the Baltimore Ravens are putting two-time MVP Lamar Jackson on injured reserve, while trusted backup Tyler Huntley is dealing with suspected turf toe.

Even their third-stringer, undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, is a question mark for this week due to an ankle injury, leading the Ravens to bring in former UFL quarterback Austin Reed and ex-Arizona Cardinals backup Kedon Slovis just to get through this week.

On Monday, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur announced that Gardner Minshew would take over as starting quarterback moving forward. Rookie Carson Beck will now be the backup, leaving veteran Jacoby Brissett without a role at this point.

Have the Ravens become an ideal fit for Brissett?

Brissett has started all eight games for Arizona, but the team moved in another direction on Sunday by putting Minshew in late in the third quarter. The Cardinals stormed back from down 14 points to snatch a win in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys.

“Only focused on this week, he’s fully a part of this team,” LaFleur said when asked about a potential Brissett trade on Monday. “Excited to see him still be the teammate that I know he is.”

The trade deadline is Nov. 10, as the Cardinals have one game to play before then.

The Cardinals are 3-5 and take on the Seattle Seahawks before the deadline, but regardless of how the Cardinals handle their other trade candidates (such as Josh Sweat and Budda Baker), it makes sense to get anything they can for their now-emergency third quarterback.

The Ravens look like an ideal landing spot for a few reasons.

First, Baltimore’s quarterbacks coach is Israel Woolfork, who held the same title in Arizona last season, working directly with Brissett when he put up quality statistics despite a 1-11 record.

For the Cardinals in 2025-2026, Brissett has completed 64.3% of his passes with 33 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, but he put up much better numbers in 2025 after relieving Kyler Murray.

With Jackson out for at least four weeks and Huntley’s status going forward uncertain, the Ravens may need a veteran option to lift their floor if they want to keep their competitive window open this season.

They are 4-4, two games back of the AFC North lead and one behind the final wild-card spot.

The Ravens finish their season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Steelers again, four straight divisional games going into the playoffs, an opportunity to make up ground. Before then, the schedule is light after this week’s Thursday Night Football matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars:

• Los Angeles Chargers
• Carolina Panthers
• Houston Texans
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Those four have a combined record of 8-21. With Derrick Henry at running back and Zay Flowers the top wide receiver, could someone like Brissett at least give Baltimore a shot to stay alive before Jackson returns?

If Jackson is done for the year, perhaps it is unreasonable to expect the Ravens to try to salvage their situation, but it is an avenue worth exploring.

The Cardinals under general manager Monti Ossenfort have traded a quarterback at the deadline before. In 2023, they traded Joshua Dobbs (and a seventh-round pick) to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick with Murray nearing a return from his torn ACL.

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