Shedeur Sanders Emerges As Surprise Baltimore Ravens Trade Option After Lamar Jackson Injury

Ravens eye Shedeur Sanders after Jackson injury© X formally Twitter

Lamar Jackson lasted exactly one snap. After sitting out three games with a high-ankle sprain, the two-time NFL MVP jammed his thumb on the Ravens' first play against Buffalo, and the damage turned out to be as bad as Baltimore feared. Coach Jesse Minter says Jackson needs surgery and heads to injured reserve. The Ravens went on to lose 36-10 and dropped to 4-4, with a Thursday night game looming and no clear plan under center. Cleveland's Shedeur Sanders has quietly become part of the conversation.

Lamar Jackson injury leaves Baltimore with few options

Jackson hurt his hand when it struck the helmet of Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau, and word of the surgery spread fast across the league's top reporters. "Ravens QB Lamar Jackson needs surgery on his thumb and is going on injured reserve, coach Jesse Minter told reporters," The Ringer's Tom Pelissero wrote on X.

ESPN's Adam Schefter backed it up with his own post: "Ravens QB Lamar Jackson needs thumb surgery and will be placed on injured reserve,"

Baltimore's bad afternoon did not stop there. Backup Tyler Huntley left with a toe injury, which pushed undrafted rookie Joey Fagnano into the game. He had entered the day as the emergency third-stringer, a role teams hope never to use. Now he is a name the Ravens' staff has to take seriously for a week full of questions.

Shedeur Sanders trade buzz around the Ravens

Insider Jordan Schultz reported that Baltimore may shop for a quarterback in the coming days, and that report is what put Sanders on the map. The former Colorado star beat out the competition for the Browns' starting job in 2025, then slid behind Deshaun Watson this season. Talk of a trade has followed him around more than once.

On paper, the match makes sense. The Ravens need a passer right now, and Cleveland has one standing on the sideline. In practice, nobody has reported a single call between the two teams. Both clubs play in the AFC North, and teams rarely like handing a useful player to a rival they will face twice a year.

The clock is the real pressure. Baltimore travels to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football in Week 9, which leaves very little time to find, acquire and prepare a new starter. Whether the Ravens dial Cleveland or stick with what they have will show how worried they really are about the season.