The Baltimore Ravens are up a creek without a paddle when it comes to the quarterback position. Lamar Jackson, who had missed the previous three games, returned to action on Sunday and then was immediately injured on the first snap of the game against the Buffalo Bills.
Jackson will need surgery and is now on IR. To make matters worse, Tyler Huntley also got dinged up during the game, meaning the Ravens had to turn to their third-string emergency quarterback. It's okay if you didn't know his name before the game, as Joe Fagnano wasn't someone we expected to see in action at all this season.
That said, Fagnano wowed during the preseason and he did make some decent throws in the blowout loss to Buffalo. Ideally, he wouldn't be who the Ravens turn to for the rest of the season, assuming Huntley can't return to the lineup.
Someone that could make sense as a trade target is Gardner Minshew, who helped the Cardinals come from behind in Dallas on Sunday. Minshew brought the Cardinals' offense to life, throwing for 188 yards and three touchdowns in his limited action. The Cardinals had been starting Jacoby Brissett until they benched him and brought Minshew in when the game seemed out of reach.
Sure, Minshew was named for the starter, but what if he gets hot? Would the Cardinals try to strike while the iron's hot, and deal him to a desperate Ravens squad?
Gardner Minshew could be solution to Baltimore Ravens' QB woes
At 4-4, the Ravens are still very much in the AFC North race, but they'll need to act fast if they want that to continue to be the case. Even if he wasn't the starter for Week 9, they probably couldn't get Minshew in the building and prepped in time for Thursday night's matchup against the Jaguars. However, there's still time between Week 9 and the trade deadline to get him to Charm City and help keep things afloat until Jackson comes back.
As for why the Cardinals would want to trade him in the first place, that's an easy one. Arizona isn't going anywhere this season and they have Minshew, Brissett, and Carson Beck on their roster. Most importantly, Beck is someone the Cardinals would probably like to get a good look at this season and they could afford him that opportunity by trading Minshew away.
While Brissett seems like the obvious trade candidate now, he's regressed into a mid- to low-tier backup and would likely be a disaster behind Baltimore's offensive line. Minshew is the better QB and the better athlete. If the Ravens are serious about staying alive, they should go after Minshew, not Brissett.
Either way, it would feel like a win for Arizona. They'd receive draft capital while simultaneously opening up an opportunity for their rookie third-round pick in Beck.
The Ravens need to act quickly if they want to try and make a run at the playoffs and Minshew is someone who could come in and help them compete. He's always been a solid backup.
Huntley is what he is and the Ravens probably aren't vying for a playoff spot with him at the helm. Minshew magic could be just what the Ravens need to stay afloat while Jackson is out so why not make a run at him?
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