The Arizona Cardinals are trading quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
According to Rapoport, the deal should be finalized this weekend. He adds that Brissett reunites with former Cardinals quarterback coach Israel Woolfork and is expected to eventually start to fill the void left by injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler "Snoop" Huntley.
It seemed like a perfect match, given the timing. The Ravens needed to bring in a veteran stopgap to keep their season alive, and Brissett should be a better fit there. He's someone who needs a clean pocket to succeed, which the Cardinals' injured offensive line couldn't offer.
It also appeared that he wasn't a great fit for Mike LaFleur's system, with Gardner Minshew II making this offense far more explosive in their Week 8 comeback over the Dallas Cowboys.
LaFleur made the right decision to name Minshew the Cardinals' starting quarterback for their Week 9 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, with Brissett being demoted to the team's QB3 behind him and rookie Carson Beck. Now the Cardinals continue to double down on that right decision, moving on from the Brissett era for good.
Jacoby Brissett trade is the right call for Cardinals’ future
It remains to be seen what the Cardinals got in return as far as draft compensation. Given his struggles and an expiring contract that's overvalued due to Arizona's questionable decision to rework his deal before the season, fans should likely temper expectations as far as a potential return.
But something is better than nothing, and most importantly, this gets the Cardinals heading in the right direction as they continue to stockpile future assets under the new LaFleur era.
First, it was the decision to trade Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, turning him into a second-round pick. Now, the Cardinals continue to prioritize the future ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline with this Brissett trade that makes perfect sense for both parties.
It signals that the Cardinals know Brissett isn't the answer, giving them an opportunity to find that solution elsewhere. That not only clears the path for Minshew but also opens the door for a potential opportunity down the road for Beck, who continues to ascend the depth chart.
Hopefully the Cardinals can use these future picks to address the larger issues that contributed to Brissett's underwhelming start to the season. They still need help on the offensive line, and have a wide receiver room that gets more depleted each week. Minshew seems like the better option to deal with that adversity in the short term, as Brissett can't be effective unless he's in ideal circumstances. He should finally get that in Baltimore, with the two looking like a good fit for one another.
This has potential to be a win-win trade, with the Cardinals making the right decision to prioritize the future. Time will tell if they continue selling veterans ahead of the deadline, but at least they made this quarterback decision for the remainder of the season. It gives them a clearer sense of direction to eventually solve the quarterback position, the biggest problem still plaguing this rebuild.
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