The Baltimore Ravens made some really tough decisions with the 53-man roster, but one might have saved them from making a mistake.
Ravens fans were pleasantly surprised that quarterback Joe Fagnano made the team. Many thought he would have been cut, and then the Ravens claimed him off waivers.
That decision, though, could end up being their best one. If Fagnano was cut, he would have never been back with the Ravens. There were even trade offers for him, which could have changed everything.
Baltimore Ravens Insider Reveals More on Team’s Joe Fagnano Decision
The Athletic Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec shared more on the Baltimore Collective podcast about Fagnano. Zrebiec revealed that the undrafted rookie would have been claimed elsewhere if he had been cut.
“I’ll say this guy’s Fagnano was going to get claimed. They had multiple teams call. There was offers on the table for him, at least trade interest. I don’t think it was ever like serious interest where they could get a legitimate pick, but there were at least three teams that I know of that called and were interested in potentially acquiring him. So, if you’re interested in potentially acquiring him, you’re surely going to put a waiver claim on him.”
“I’ll say this guy’s Fagnano was going to get claimed. They had multiple teams call. There was offers on the table for him, at least trade interest. I don’t think it was ever like serious
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.
Ravens Avoided Joe Fagnano Mistake With 53-Man Roster Decision
Baltimore made the right call to keep Fagnano on the team and not trade him away. That would have been a massive mistake for the Ravens to lose a guy who played so well in the preseason.
Finding reliable third-string quarterbacks in the NFL is hard. Especially one that fits the offensive scheme as well as he does.
Fagnano now gives the Ravens the stability they need at quarterback. He will be behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley for the season. It’s a great opportunity for the rookie to learn from two capable veterans, one of whom is a two-time MVP.
This is a good situation for the Ravens, as it’s much better than last year’s QB situation. The team struggled with Cooper Rush as the backup and turned to Huntley with success before Jackson returned from injuries.
There’s no telling whether Fagnano will ever see the field in 2026 with two guys ahead of him. The hope is that it doesn’t happen and he can take this season to learn how to be an NFL quarterback. After that, though, he should be ready for a bigger role, as the Ravens could view him as a future backup quarterback to Jackson.
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