Joe Fagnano, a 25-year-old undrafted rookie quarterback, is officially the Baltimore Ravens’ starting signal-caller for “Thursday Night Football.” This isn’t just a regular Week 9 game, folks; with starting QB Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley both placed on injured reserve, the Ravens are throwing a player who was a UDFA back in April right into the fire, against a 5-2 Jacksonville Jaguars team that looks like a real AFC title contender. Talk about a wild turn of events.
From College Journeyman to Primetime QB1
This guy’s journey to the top of the depth chart is pretty wild. Fagnano spent seven seasons grinding through college football, primarily in New England, before the Ravens inked him as an undrafted free agent back in April. Remember Diego Pavia, the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Vanderbilt the Ravens also signed around that time? Big personality, but he didn’t even make it to training camp before getting waived. Fagnano, however, stuck around. Now, with both Jackson nursing a thumb injury and Huntley dealing with turf toe, Fagnano is suddenly QB1. And get this: while Baltimore is reportedly working on a trade for recently benched Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, that deal isn’t even done yet. So, it’s ‘Fin-YAWN-Oh’ under center for a crucial primetime game, exactly as he cleared up his own pronunciation this week.
Battling Pain and Making a Statement
Fagnano isn’t coming into this game at 100 percent. He’s nursing a right ankle injury. He was a limited participant in Monday’s walkthrough, but he showed serious grit by practicing in full on Tuesday and Wednesday, even wearing a significant brace. He told reporters this week that his ankle feels fine, which is a good sign for Ravens fans. Last week, Fagnano got his first taste of regular-season action after both Jackson and Huntley went down mid-game in a tough 36-10 road defeat to the Buffalo Bills. It was a rocky debut, with 91 yards on 10-of-21 passing, one interception, one lost fumble, and no touchdowns. But don’t let that overshadow his preseason. The guy was impressive, racking up 509 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception through the air, completing an excellent 74.7% of his passes, according to Pro Football Focus. He was so good that General Manager Eric DeCosta called him “Cinderella Man” when he told Fagnano he made the 53-man roster, a rare move for a team that doesn’t usually carry three QBs.
This Thursday, Fagnano will lead a 4-4 Baltimore squad looking to preserve its playoff hopes against a Jaguars team that’s clicking. It’s a huge test for the young QB, a real sink-or-swim moment. He’ll need to tap into that preseason magic and prove he’s more than just a temporary fill-in.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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