Wednesday Moved Week 9: Brissett Waits, Parsons and Garrett Practice, Darnold Sits

Wednesday moved Week 9 before a single snap of it was played: Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett returned to practice, Sam Darnold sits on Sunday, and tonight at M&T Bank Stadium an undrafted rookie starts at quarterback for Baltimore against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Lamar Jackson headed to injured reserve and Tyler Huntley out too. Joe Fagnano starts tonight. What Wednesday added was the twist: the Ravens' answer at quarterback is on the way, and he cannot help them yet.

Brissett is coming. He just cannot play tonight.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network reported Wednesday that Baltimore is finalizing a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for veteran Jacoby Brissett. Multiple reports since have been consistent on the catch: the deal is not expected to be completed until the weekend, compensation for Arizona is still to be set, and Brissett still has to pass a physical. Until the trade is official, he remains on the Cardinals' roster and is ineligible to face Jacksonville. Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter had already announced Tuesday that Fagnano would make his first career start on Thursday night, and nothing about the Brissett news changes that.

The need is not hard to see. Jackson, the two-time MVP, hurt the thumb on his throwing hand on the first offensive play of Sunday's 36-10 loss at Buffalo, will have surgery and may not play again this season. Huntley's turf toe injury is season-ending. Fagnano, who debuted in relief at Buffalo, is himself playing through an ankle injury. The gap between the two quarterbacks tells the story: Brissett has thrown for 1,719 yards this season — 193 of 305, 63.3 percent, with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games — while Fagnano's entire NFL career is one relief appearance. Brissett became available because Arizona demoted him to third string after benching him for Gardner Minshew, and he has a head start in Baltimore: he previously worked with Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork during their time together with the Cardinals. If the trade goes through as reported, Brissett is expected to take over as the starter after Thursday, with Baltimore next hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, Nov. 16.

Jacksonville, meanwhile, arrives at 5-2 with a three-game lead in the AFC South and a problem of its own: the Jaguars lost defensive starters DaVon Hamilton and Eric Murray for the season in last week's 42-7 rout of Indianapolis. Hamilton anchored a Jacksonville run defense allowing 77.4 rushing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL — which is precisely the part of the field a Derrick Henry-led, rookie-quarterback offense has to test. Jacksonville is also monitoring running back Bhayshul Tuten, its leading rusher, who has been dealing with a foot injury.

Parsons is back on a practice field

The best news of the day belonged to Green Bay. Micah Parsons took part in individual drills Wednesday, his first practice work since he tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in a Dec. 14 loss at Denver. Returning to practice starts a 21-day window for the Packers to activate him. "It's been a long time coming," coach Matt LaFleur said. "He's put a lot of effort and work into this. To get him back out there will be a big boost to our team."

Nobody is rushing this. Parsons was limited Wednesday, he will not play Sunday when the 5-3 Packers visit New England, and the reported target for his 2026 debut is Week 12 — Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25, at the Los Angeles Rams. Green Bay has hardly collapsed without him: the Packers are averaging 2.8 sacks per game, tied for seventh in the NFL, led by Lukas Van Ness with 4.5. But there is a difference between a good pass rush and Micah Parsons, and the whole league knows which one is coming back.

Garrett returns for the Rams — and Watson's season ends

Los Angeles got its own pass-rush news, in both directions. Myles Garrett returned to practice Wednesday after the Rams opened his 21-day practice window on Monday. He has not played since undergoing knee surgery shortly after the season opener in Australia, where he did not log a tackle. The Rams sent Jared Verse and three high draft picks to Cleveland for Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2023 and 2025) with 125.5 career sacks, third among active players — and so far the return on that swing is 12 team sacks in eight games, 27th in the league, with Byron Young leading the team at 4.5. The 4-4 Rams, winners of two straight for the first time this season, visit Washington on Sunday.

The same day, the Rams lost a key piece of their rebuilt secondary. Cornerback Jaylen Watson is expected to have shoulder surgery that will end his 2026 season, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. Watson signed a three-year, $51 million contract with $34 million guaranteed in March. He dislocated the shoulder in Week 3, returned in Week 5 wearing a protective harness and intercepted a pass against Buffalo — and now his season is over anyway.

Darnold out, Lock in for Seattle

Seattle will be without Sam Darnold on Sunday when the Cardinals visit, coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday, and Drew Lock will start in his place. Darnold is dealing with a quad injury, and Macdonald said he also cracked a rib on the second play of Monday night's 34-17 loss to the Bears — a game Darnold played from start to finish, completing 17 of 34 passes, as Chicago pulled away late. "Sam is going to be out this week and be week-to-week," Macdonald said. "He's not going to go on IR."

Lock has been sharp in small doses — 72.9 percent completions for 422 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action, including a 31-7 win over this same Arizona team on Sept. 20 — but Macdonald noted Lock has been dealing with an elbow injury and "hasn't thrown much." Second-year quarterback Jalen Milroe is also on the roster. At 4-4 and losers of three of four, the Seahawks host Arizona on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Arizona loses Love for at least a month

The Cardinals made it official Tuesday: rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain that is expected to sideline him four to five weeks, and at minimum the next four games. The No. 3 overall pick out of Notre Dame has battled problems with both ankles since the preseason. He returned from a left ankle injury to face Dallas on Sunday, ran nine times for 23 yards, and left in the first half with an injury to the other ankle. "It's a new portion of the ankle," coach Mike LaFleur said. Love's rookie season sits at 268 rushing yards and one touchdown in six games.

The replacement already auditioned. Tyler Allgeier took over against the Cowboys and ran for 147 yards on 11 carries, including a 63-yard touchdown, and added five catches for 44 yards and another score. Arizona also placed veteran receiver Kendrick Bourne on injured reserve Tuesday. So Sunday's game in Seattle now features a backup quarterback on one side and a backup running back plan on the other — an NFC West game neither team can afford to treat as a throwaway.

Hovering over all of it is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET: the trade deadline. A Ravens quarterback deal is being finalized under its pressure, a 49ers saga is being forced to a conclusion by it, and by tonight one more team — Baltimore or Jacksonville — will know a lot more about what it still needs.