Baltimore placed Lamar Jackson on injured reserve with a thumb injury, triggering the franchise's first genuine quarterback crisis since drafting him in 2018. The team is now evaluating veteran Jacoby Brissett and collegiate prospect Shedeur Sanders as emergency options with backup Tyler Huntley also sidelined.
Jackson's IR placement requires a minimum four-game absence during a playoff push. Huntley, who previously served as the primary backup and started nine games across two seasons when Jackson was unavailable, remains out with an undisclosed injury. The Ravens carried no third quarterback on the active roster entering Week 14, a calculated risk that now forces general manager Eric DeCosta into hurried evaluation mode.
Brissett represents the immediate veteran path. He last played meaningful snaps for Cleveland in 2022, posting a 79.3 passer rating across 11 starts. He knows offensive coordinator Todd Monken's system from their shared time in Cleveland and carries 48 career starts. His contract market dried up after Baker Mayfield's Cleveland exit, leaving him available but requiring several days of system installation. The Ravens' run-heavy scheme reduces downside but Brissett's immobility limits the designed quarterback run packages that generate 18% of Baltimore's offensive yardage.
Sanders, Colorado's junior quarterback, creates a different calculus. He declared for the 2025 draft in late November, projecting as a first-round selection with pre-draft evaluations placing him between picks eight and fifteen. Baltimore holds no compensatory interest in his draft stock but signing him to a short-term deal offers a live audition while preserving cap flexibility. The move carries reputational risk if Sanders struggles publicly, potentially damaging his draft position and creating friction with agent representation. It also signals desperation to rival front offices sizing up Baltimore's playoff viability.
The quarterback shortage exposes a roster construction choice DeCosta made in August. Baltimore carried three quarterbacks through training camp but released Josh Johnson before Week 1 to preserve a roster spot for defensive depth. Johnson, 37, signed with Denver's practice squad and remains under contract. The decision saved roughly $1.2 million in cap space but assumed Huntley's durability, a bet that failed.
Sponsor exposure shifts immediately. M&T Bank, the team's stadium naming partner and Jackson's largest regional endorser, faces four weeks of diminished quarterback visibility during the final push toward $180 million in annual regional deposits tied to Ravens brand association. Under Armour, Jackson's apparel partner since 2017, loses in-game product placement during the holiday retail window when NFL viewership peaks. Both contracts contain performance clauses that activate during playoff runs, creating potential future value loss if Baltimore misses the postseason.
The injury also clouds Baltimore's offseason negotiating stance. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension in April 2023 after a prolonged stalemate. His durability, questioned during contract talks, returns as a pressure point when the team evaluates surrounding talent investments. The Ravens currently allocate 22.4% of their salary cap to the quarterback position, limiting flexibility to add skill weapons or offensive line depth in 2025 free agency.
Coaching staff adjustments begin this week. Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, who worked with Josh Allen during his Buffalo tenure, inherits game-planning responsibilities for a non-Jackson offense for the first time since joining Baltimore in 2021. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken must rebuild his weekly script without the quarterback run threat that occupies a defensive gap player on 67% of Baltimore's snaps, per team charting data.
Baltimore hosts the New York Giants on December 15, then faces Pittsburgh in a division game on December 21. The team sits at 8-5, one game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North. Four losses in six weeks dropped the Ravens from the conference's top seed to a wild-card position, increasing the urgency around any quarterback decision.
DeCosta is expected to finalize a signing by Wednesday, giving the new quarterback three practices before the Giants game. Brissett remains the safer procedural choice but Sanders creates optionality if Baltimore's front office believes his dual-threat skill set approximates Jackson's enough to preserve play-calling structure. The decision reveals how much risk tolerance remains after a month of defensive lapses cost the team home-field advantage.
League sources indicate at least two other veteran quarterbacks, including former Titans starter Ryan Tannehill, have reached out to Baltimore's front office through representation. Tannehill last played in 2023, posting an 82.9 passer rating before Miami signed him as Tua Tagovailoa insurance. His contract expired in March, leaving him unsigned for nine months.