Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had been waiting three weeks to get back on the field. His return lasted one play.
Jackson hurt his right thumb on Baltimore’s first offensive play of Sunday’s Week 8 matchup against the Buffalo Bills and went straight to the locker room. Not long after, the Ravens ruled him out for the rest of the game.
That put backup Tyler Huntley back under center, which is where he’d been for the previous three games while Jackson was out with a high ankle sprain.
However, Huntley appeared to get hurt as well, and if he can’t go, the Ravens would have to turn to a name most NFL fans have never heard: Joe Fagnano. Who is Fagnano and what do fans need to know about him?
Joe Fagnano Was the Ravens’ Preseason Star
Fagnano was inactive on Sunday but listed as the Ravens’ emergency third quarterback.
Under NFL rules, that means he can only play if both Jackson and Huntley are knocked out of the game by injury, illness or ejection.
He’s been the No. 2 QB before. Fagnano served as Huntley’s backup for each of the last three games while Jackson was sidelined. He’s also next in line now because veteran Skylar Thompson is on injured reserve.
The 25-year-old went undrafted in April and signed a three-year, $3.1 million deal with Baltimore. He wasn’t even guaranteed a shot at the QB3 job — at one point in the spring, he was one of five quarterbacks competing for a roster spot.
Then August happened.
Fagnano led the NFL in preseason passing yards, completing 56 of 75 passes (74.7%) for 509 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His debut against the Philadelphia Eagles went 22-for-28 for 224 yards.
That was enough for the Ravens to carry three quarterbacks on their opening roster for the first time since 2020. It also caught the attention of other teams.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reported that multiple teams reached out about trading for Fagnano, but Baltimore opted to keep him.
Fagnano Took the Long Road From Maine to UConn
Fagnano’s path to the NFL wasn’t a straight line.
The Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native started his college career at Maine, where he was the Black Bears’ Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 after throwing for 1,835 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman.
He followed former Maine head coach Nick Charlton to UConn in 2023 and won the starting job, only to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury a few weeks into the season.
Because of injuries and the extra COVID year, Fagnano spent seven years in college. He made the most of the last one. Fagnano threw for career highs of 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025.
Between Maine and UConn, he finished with 10,926 passing yards, 94 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions.
Who Is Joe Fagnano? Ravens Turn to Emergency QB With Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley Out