The Baltimore Ravens sit in a dangerous position, as they lost their top two quarterbacks to injury, and their third option is also questionable. On his first passing attempt in the eventual 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson suffered a thumb injury that required surgery, landed him on injured reserve and could end his season. Then, Tyler Huntley suffered a season-ending turf toe injury as well.
That forced undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into the lineup, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards and one interception vs. Buffalo. However, he's nursing an ankle injury and is considered questionable for the Ravens' Week 9 matchup vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday. That led Baltimore to add Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed to its roster.
While Fagnano will likely join Anthony Brown as the only undrafted rookie quarterbacks to start a game for the Ravens, should the team consider chasing a legitimate starter prior to next Tuesday's trade deadline? While Baltimore does reside in last place in the division with a 4-4 record, the season isn't over yet. Let's examine three quarterback options for the Ravens to consider.
1. QB Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals demoted Jacoby Brissett from starter to third-stringer this week, as Mike LaFleur is moving forward with Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck as his new No. 2. Brissett was benched for Minshew in the third quarter of the Cardinals' Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, who sparked the offense with three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to get the game to overtime. The Cardinals won that game in the extra period, leading LaFleur to make the decision he did.
Brissett has not been terrible this season. He's completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games. His 75.6 yards per game to Trey McBride entering Week 8 were the most by a QB-TE combo since 1970 (min. 15 games). Brissett isn't going to be raking in Pro Bowl votes, but he's a borderline starter in this league that would be an upgrade over an undrafted rookie or career third-stringer.
2. QB Anthony Richardson, Colts
This would be the most intriguing swing of the bat for general manager Eric DeCosta, as Anthony Richardson is the option that offers the most upside. The former No. 4 overall pick out of Florida hasn't made a start since 2024, but he's one of the most athletic quarterback prospects we've ever seen. Obviously, it hasn't gone according to plan for him with the Indianapolis Colts. The 24-year-old quarterback is 8-7 as a starter, having completed 50.9% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 18 total games played. Availability and consistency have been major issues for Richardson, but a change of scenery could do wonders for him.
Before you write Richardson off as a complete bust, consider the impact J.J. McCarthy is having early on for the New York Giants. Why couldn't Richardson thrive after his long-awaited trade? Plus, Richardson is a dual-threat athlete who could pair well with Derrick Henry. He averaged 40 rushing yards per game in his first two seasons, and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground as well. Give me the read option every play.
3. QB Tyson Bagent, Bears
Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears has been floated as a trade candidate for the Ravens given his familiarity with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Bagent has truly been one of the most fascinating stories we've seen in the NFL over the past couple of seasons. Undrafted in 2023 out of Shepherd University -- a Division II school in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Bagent did enough with Chicago in his first preseason to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. As a rookie, he was called upon to make four starts, and even defeated No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in prime time.
Bagent signed a two-year, $10 million extension in 2025, but has struggled this season. He threw for 268 yards and one interception in the Week 4, 23-12 win against the New York Jets, then threw for just 87 yards and two interceptions in the 31-7 blowout loss suffered at the hands of the Green Bay Packers the following week. Bagent's struggles look even worse considering that 38-year-old Case Keenum threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in a primetime upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. If Caleb Williams had to miss another start at some point, you have to wonder who Ben Johnson would start at quarterback this time around.
One question to consider is what would the Bears want for Bagent? If Ryan Poles wants a fourth-round pick for him,it should be "thanks but no thanks."
