Ravens turn to Joe Fagnano for first start against Jacksonville

Baltimore’s short week has turned into an emergency at quarterback, and the Ravens are now handing the job to an undrafted rookie. Joe Fagnano will make his first career start Thursday night against Jacksonville after Lamar Jackson was headed for injured reserve and Tyler Huntley was ruled out for the season with turf toe.

The move comes with the Ravens trying to keep their season from sliding further at M&T Bank Stadium. Jacksonville enters Week 9 at 5-2, one game ahead of Baltimore’s 4-4 record, but the larger issue is the gap under center. Jackson injured his right thumb on the offense’s first play from scrimmage in last week’s game, and Huntley’s injury removed the other experienced option the Ravens had left on hand.

That left Baltimore with little time to build a different plan. NFL.com reported that head coach Jesse Minter announced Tuesday that Fagnano would start against the Jaguars, making him the second undrafted rookie quarterback in Ravens history to start a game, after Anthony Brown in 2022. The club added Kedon Slovis to the active roster and Austin Reed to the practice squad this week, but neither was ready for a Thursday assignment.

Fagnano’s first regular-season action came in relief against Buffalo on Sunday, and it was enough to show why Baltimore is being careful with expectations. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. That line does not define what he can do in a start, but it does show the Ravens are asking a quarterback with almost no pro runway to handle a game on a short week.

The opponent makes the assignment even tougher. NFL.com’s Week 9 preview describes Jacksonville’s defense as one of the league’s best, and the preview frames the matchup as one where Baltimore’s quarterback shortage could loom larger than the records suggest. The Jaguars have been better through eight games, but the bigger difference on Thursday may be how much structure each offense can bring to the field.

Fagnano is not arriving to the job without any background, even if the NFL stage is new. He made 44 collegiate starts across seven seasons and posted a 48-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in three seasons at UConn. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he has the size to play the position, but Baltimore is still asking him to translate that résumé into a first start against a defense that will not offer much margin for error.

There is also some physical uncertainty around the rookie himself. NFL.com noted that Fagnano was wearing a brace on his ankle during Tuesday’s practice, which adds another layer to a debut already shaped by the absences around him. The Ravens do not have the luxury of waiting for a cleaner setup; they need to see whether the rookie can stabilize the position enough to keep the game competitive.

For Baltimore, the consequence is immediate and specific. The Ravens are not simply replacing one starter with another; they are trying to survive a Thursday-night matchup with a quarterback who was not expected to be in this role yet. With Jackson headed to injured reserve and Huntley out for the season, Fagnano becomes the latest answer to a problem that has forced Baltimore to improvise quickly.

Thursday will tell the Ravens whether that improvisation can last another week. If it cannot, the pressure on the quarterback room will only intensify after a game that already arrived with little room for error.