What exactly were the Ravens supposed to do? T.J. Ward looked at Baltimore’s answer and decided it made no sense.
The Ravens agreed Wednesday to acquire Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting the deal will be finalized this weekend. Lamar Jackson needs surgery on his right thumb and is on injured reserve, possibly for the season. Tyler Huntley’s turf toe ended his year. Both were hurt in the 36-10 loss at Buffalo.
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Ward, a 3x Pro Bowl safety in Cleveland and a Super Bowl 50 champion in Denver, did not hedge on Speakeasy,
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“They’re in a lose-lose situation right now. They lost Lamar. They lost Huntley, and they’re down to the third quarterback. Brissett, he can’t move. He’s not a mobile quarterback. He’s not in the image of your first two quarterbacks. So I don’t understand why you go get somebody that’s just been benched from a losing team that’s three and five right now, it just makes no sense to me. He’s not going to come in and salvage anything for you. He’s not an upgrade… it’s over for the Baltimore Ravens, last in the division.”
Brissett’s own season supports part of it: 63.3%, 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions before he was pulled in the third quarter at Dallas, where Gardner Minshew threw three touchdown passes in a 33-30 overtime win. Brissett fell to the third string behind Minshew and rookie Carson Beck.
What Ward leaves out is the alternative. Joe Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn, had never taken an NFL snap before Sunday, when he went 10 of 21 for 91 yards with an interception. He starts Thursday against Jacksonville on a right ankle he hurt in that same game, with Baltimore 4-4, last in the AFC North and on a three-game skid.
Do Ravens have any better options than Jacoby Brissett?
Brissett worked with Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork in Arizona last season, shortening the crash course before a likely debut Nov. 16 against the Chargers.
Ward is still right about the ceiling. Brissett will not win the AFC North, and he may not keep the season afloat until Jackson returns. But Baltimore was never choosing between Brissett and its two-time MVP, only between Brissett and a rookie with 21 career attempts.
So this is no heist. It is a tourniquet, and the wound is Jackson’s thumb.
Another available option for the Ravens was Anthony Richardson Sr. The Colts quarterback was made available to shop before the start of the season. As the team goes through a fire sale, he remains open to a trade. With his dual-threat ability, the quarterback could better preserve Baltimore’s offensive identity.
Tyson Bagent is an option that would be the best overall fit for the Ravens’ system. The Bears QB is already familiar with Declan Doyle’s offense and has performed well to support the team in Caleb Williams’ absence. The biggest question would be Chicago’s asking price.
Edited by Aman Kashyap
