The Pittsburgh Steelers just watched their biggest AFC North rival make a desperate move at quarterback, and it is a name Pittsburgh knows well. The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, according to CBS Sports. The deal is expected to be completed this weekend, and the compensation has not been finalized.
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Lamar Jackson on the field for the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore had little choice. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson injured his thumb on his first pass attempt against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and the injury required surgery that could end his season. Backup Tyler Huntley came in and suffered a turf toe injury that is reportedly season-ending. That leaves undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano to start Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed, both added this week, behind him.
SteelerNation reported earlier Wednesday that the Ravens were exploring a move to stabilize the position. Now they have one. Brissett is expected to make his Baltimore debut on Monday, Nov. 16, against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he will be reunited with quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, who coached him with the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and again in Arizona.
The move comes at a low point for Baltimore. The Ravens are 4-4, have lost three straight games and sit in last place in the AFC North. They have not scored more than 13 points in three consecutive games, something that had not happened to the franchise since 2005. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, sits atop the division at 6-2 heading into its bye week.
Steelers Have Seen Brissett Up Close Before
Brissett is not a stranger to Pittsburgh. He has started three games against the Steelers in his career and is 1-2 in those starts. In 2017 with the Indianapolis Colts, he threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-17 Steelers win. In 2019, he started against Pittsburgh again but left with a knee injury in a 26-24 Steelers victory.
The one that stands out is September 2022. Starting for Cleveland on Thursday Night Football, Brissett completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and the Browns beat the Steelers 29-17. Across all of his appearances against Pittsburgh, he has completed 65 percent of his passes for 501 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
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Aaron Rodgers on the field for the Steelers during the 2025 season.
His steady, mistake-free style is what makes him a different kind of problem than Fagnano or any other emergency option. Brissett, who turns 34 next month, is in his 11th NFL season and the Ravens will be his seventh team. He started Arizona's first eight games this year, throwing for 1,719 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions before the Cardinals benched him for Gardner Minshew II. Last season, he threw for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 12 starts. His 1.5 percent career interception rate is the second-lowest since 2000 among quarterbacks with at least 2,500 attempts, trailing only Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, according to Pro Football Focus.
The wins have not always followed. Arizona went 3-5 with Brissett starting this season and 1-11 in his starts last year, and he asked the Cardinals for a trade after he was dropped to third string behind Minshew and rookie Carson Beck. Baltimore is betting that a better roster around him changes that.
He will not turn Baltimore's offense into Jackson's offense, but he is a veteran who protects the ball and has beaten the Steelers before. That is a much tougher opponent than a rookie making his first career starts.
On 93.7 The Fan's PM Team, the hosts said the Steelers "could lose a game to Jacoby Brissett," and that a split of the season series with Baltimore is back on the table. It is not a hard case to make. Pittsburgh does not face the Ravens until Sunday, Dec. 20, at Acrisure Stadium, with the rematch in Baltimore in Week 18. If Jackson's injury does end his season, Brissett would likely be the quarterback in both games.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his team have a bye week and a trip to Cincinnati to worry about first. But the Ravens just made sure the AFC North race will not be as simple as it looked when Jackson went down.
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