The Baltimore Ravens saw their entire quarterback room decimated in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills. Lamar Jackson's thumb injury may sideline him for a while, Tyler Huntley's toe injury is season-ending, and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano is scheduled to start despite his own ankle injury. Is an Anthony Richardson move in the cards?
Well, no. Baltimore traded for Jacoby Brissett instead.
The Ravens were as desperate for quarterback depth as anyone in the league, and calling up a Colts team that just traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner for pennies on the dollar might have been all it took to give them a chance at possibly sneaking into the postseason picture.
Ultimately, it was Brissett who Eric DeCosta had his eye on. Would a move for Richardson have been better, though?
The Baltimore Ravens shuld have traded for Anthony Richardson, not Jacoby Brissett
To say things haven't gone well for Richardson is an understatement. While the Colts went 8-7 in his starts, the ultra-talented quarterback has barely completed more than half of his passes in his career (50.9 percent) while throwing for more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11) in the pros.
Between his erratic play, taking himself out of a game because he was tired and then returning one play later, and failing to capitalize on a talented offense, those who never bought into Richardson despite one of the five strongest arms in the league and the best quarterback athletic testing times ever were vindicated.
However, Richardson's supporters will rightfully claim that his development was bungled. He either needed to be viewed as so raw that he was to be put on ice for the early stages of his career to watch and learn, or thrown to the wolves with a very long leash to make mistakes and grow. Shane Steichen did neither, and the Colts suffered because of it.
Anthony Richardson could've been a long-term backup for the Baltimore Ravens
If Richardson didn't work out, this trade could be written off as a low-risk endeavor meant to catch lightning in a bottle. If he did show that he needed Declan Doyle to get things turned around, however, the Ravens may have found a long-term backup behind Lamar Jackson.
Brissett is a known quality that will keep the team competitive this season, but he is likely not going to be a long-term answer as the No. 2 behind Jackson. Minter isn't going anywhere, which could afford him a swing for a player like Richardson. Brissett, who regressed from 2025, may not be around for 2027, when the team could reboot their quarterback room behind Jackson.
Richardson at least would have given the Ravens the threat of some added upside, which they won't have with the Brissett under center, barring an unprecedented breakout. Fans need to hope that Brissett and Zay Flowers have the same connection that he and Trey McBride had in Arizona.
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