The Brissett trade is official, so stop acting like you still have time

I told you Wednesday to buy Jacoby Brissett before the trade was official. Friday afternoon Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport made it official. If you're just now pinging the Brissett owner, congratulations. You're the exit liquidity.

The terms aren't a rumor anymore. Schefter has Baltimore getting Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick, with Arizona getting a 2027 fourth and a 2028 seventh. Rapoport matched those picks and added that the Cardinals are paying a little more than half of Brissett's remaining 2026 salary. The Ravens and Cardinals both posted the trade. NFL.com's Friday roundup carried the same package. That's as closed as a deal gets before he takes a snap in purple.

You already know why the volume is real. The Ravens put Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on injured reserve, then watched Joe Fagnano go 10 of 18 for 60 yards and two interceptions in a 33-10 home loss to Jacksonville on Thursday night. Baltimore is 4-5 after four straight losses, and it's been held under 14 points in each of them. Schefter had Brissett's debut lined up for Week 10 on Monday night against the Chargers when the trade was still pending. That calendar didn't get worse when the ink dried. It got clearer.

In superflex, pay a real starter's price for Brissett on a short contract if you somehow still have him available. Contenders who need a quarterback who will actually throw next week should stop shopping the waiver for scraps from Thursday night. Rebuilders who own him should take the best offer that treats him like a temporary QB1, not a dart throw, because every contender in your league just watched Fagnano's box score.

The risk is obvious and I'm not sanding it. Brissett was third string in Arizona behind Gardner Minshew. He hasn't started for Baltimore yet. Jackson's timeline can change. If you overpay like he's a three-year franchise piece, that's on you. I said short contract Wednesday and I mean it harder now that the trade is done.

I'm done entertaining the manager who wanted one more report before bidding. You got Schefter, Rapoport, both team accounts, and a lost Thursday night. Waiting for official is how you buy at the top. Do the deal tonight or admit you were never serious.

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