The Baltimore Ravens have concluded the preseason, but not without an undrafted rookie making some loud noise in the 41-3 win over the Washington Commanders.
Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano wasn’t even thought of as a realistic 53-man roster candidate at the beginning of training camp. Three preseason games later, and Baltimore can no longer ignore what Fagnano has done.
In the Ravens’ win over the Commanders, he completed 19-of-27 passes for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. Fagnano added a rushing touchdown in the victory. This performance has left the Ravens in an interesting quarterback situation.
Baltimore Ravens HC Jesse Minter Addresses Joe Fagnano Situation
After the game, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter was asked about Fagnano and if it surprised him that the undrafted rookie quarterback is playing so well. Minter said it caught him off guard.
“Yes, I mean, to his credit, yes. I mean, it started with that first preseason game, really, where he got, I would say, the first, like, real run. Maybe one or two other practices right before that, but to his credit, he has put it on tape, and he has put it out there. He has been really consistent. He has played a certain way almost all three games, and so that is definitely something we will have to take a look at.”
During the preseason, Fagnano completed 74.7% of his passes for 509 yards and 3 touchdowns to 1 interception. He added 12 rushing yards on 4 carries and 1 touchdown.
Did Joe Fagnano Make Enough of An Argument to Be on Ravens’ 53-Man Roster?
The Ravens didn’t expect to have this kind of problem deciding on a quarterback. They expected Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley to make it and move on with their lives.
Fagnano isn’t as mobile as Jackson and Huntley, but he proved himself. He was efficient all of training camp, running offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s offense, and made some great throws.
It’s now down to the point of the Ravens trying to decide what the right thing to do is at quarterback. Fagnano would easily make the practice squad, but waiving him runs the risk of the Ravens losing him on the waiver wire to another NFL team.
Baltimore might have to play it safe and bring Fagnano on the 53-man roster as the QB3. That would not be the worst thing in the world. He looks like a better option than Cooper Rush was last season.
The Ravens still have decisions to make, and they have over 24 hours to decide. Fagnano certainly didn’t make it easy for Minter and the coaching staff to keep him off the 53-man roster.
Ravens Undrafted Rookie Made it Hard for Jesse Minter to Ignore