The Baltimore Ravens are running out of quarterbacks, so they’re going shopping. The Jacoby Brissett Ravens trade is being finalized with the Arizona Cardinals, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Nov. 4, 2026. A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press the same thing. One catch: the trade is expected to be completed over the weekend, which means Brissett can’t suit up Thursday night.

That leaves Thursday to a quarterback most fans had never heard of a week ago. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano will start for Baltimore against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football, kicking off at 8:15 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium on Prime Video. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will call it, with Kaylee Hartung on the sideline.

How did a 4-4 team with playoff hopes end up here? Fast. Lamar Jackson hurt his right thumb on the first offensive play at Buffalo in Week 8, and he now needs surgery. Baltimore placed the two-time MVP on injured reserve. Backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley then went down with a turf toe injury that will require surgery and end his season. Just like that, the Ravens were down to Fagnano, a 25-year-old rookie who went undrafted.

Jacoby Brissett Ravens trade: why Baltimore moved now

Fagnano’s NFL debut came in relief at Buffalo on Sunday. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards, according to NBC Sports, in a 36-10 loss that stretched Baltimore’s skid to three straight defeats. Nobody reasonable judges a rookie on one chaotic relief appearance. The Ravens still couldn’t head into a short week with him as their only real option — not with the season sliding.

Enter Brissett, 33, a veteran of nine NFL seasons. He started the first eight games of the season for Arizona before getting benched in favor of Gardner Minshew, who led the Cardinals to a 33-30 comeback win at Dallas on Sunday. Arizona then named Minshew its starter and demoted Brissett to third string. Baltimore pounced. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and the trade deadline doesn’t arrive until Nov. 10, so the timing works.

ESPN reported that Baltimore’s three active quarterbacks for Thursday — Fagnano, Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed, both added this week — have combined for no previous starts, 44 snaps and 23 passes attempted. Read that again. That’s the whole room. Brissett changes the math the moment he walks in, and with an 11-day break after Thursday, he should have time to get ready for the Week 10 Monday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 16. Rapoport reported Brissett is expected to start that one.

None of this is official yet, and that matters. The AP source spoke on condition of anonymity precisely because the deal hasn’t been completed. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Wednesday he expected it to play out “in the next few days.” Until the teams announce it, treat the Brissett move as very likely, not done. The Ravens, notably, have not confirmed it publicly.

Jacoby Brissett Ravens trade: a brutal Thursday matchup

Even with a healthy quarterback, Thursday would be a hard night. Jacksonville arrives at 5-2, fresh off a 42-7 demolition of Indianapolis, and the Jaguars are 9-point favorites at BetMGM, according to the Florida Times-Union, with an over-under of 42.5. Baltimore sits last in the AFC North at 4-4. The Jaguars score 28 points per game and allow just 15.9, per one analytics preview. Baltimore averages 22.4 and gives up 25.4 — outscored on average before the Buffalo loss even happened.

History doesn’t offer Baltimore much comfort either. Jacksonville leads the all-time series 13-11, and the Jaguars are chasing their first win in Baltimore since 2015. Baltimore won the last meeting in Baltimore 40-14 back in 2020. Thursday marks Jacksonville’s 17th Thursday night game in franchise history, and its seventh on the road.

For Baltimore, the game plan almost writes itself: lean on Derrick Henry, keep Jacksonville’s offense off the field, and don’t ask Fagnano to win it alone. The Florida Times-Union flagged Jaguars defense versus Henry as the key matchup, and that’s no surprise. A rookie quarterback on a short week needs a running game the way a climber needs rope. If Henry gets going early, Fagnano can manage the game. If he doesn’t, this could get ugly fast.

Zoom out and the stakes are plain. Baltimore has lost three straight, its MVP is on injured reserve, and its backup is done for the year. Thursday night is about survival — get to the 11-day break without further damage, then hand the offense to a veteran who has started 70-plus NFL games. The Bears showed in Week 8 how quickly a primetime result can change a season’s mood, beating Seattle 34-17 behind three D’Andre Swift touchdowns. Baltimore would settle for far less than a statement win right now. A competitive night and no new injuries would do.

And if Brissett does arrive as reported, the conversation shifts. He won’t fix everything — Baltimore’s defense has leaked points all season, and no quarterback solves that. He does give the Ravens a steady hand while Jackson recovers, which is all a 4-4 team can ask for in early November. Detroit proved last week that a banged-up favorite can still find a way, ending Minnesota’s unbeaten run 19-15. Baltimore’s version of that story starts with a rookie on Thursday and, hopefully, a veteran on Monday the 16th.

Full trade reporting is available from ESPN and NBC Sports.

FAQ

Is the Jacoby Brissett Ravens trade official?

Not yet, as of Nov. 4 reporting. ESPN, NFL Network and an AP source all reported the deal is being finalized and expected to complete over the weekend. Terms haven’t been disclosed.

Who starts at quarterback for Baltimore on Thursday?

Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano. He’ll start against Jacksonville, with Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed backing him up.

When could Brissett debut for the Ravens?

The expected target is the Week 10 Monday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 16, after Baltimore’s 11-day break.

What time is Jaguars vs. Ravens, and where can I watch?

Kickoff is Thursday, Nov. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, airing nationally on Prime Video.