On roster cuts day, the Baltimore Ravens kept the Huskies' former QB on the 53-man roster.
Welcome to the NFL, Joe Fagnano.
Officially.
Multiple outlets reported Sunday evening that the former UConn quarterback made the initial 53-man roster of the Baltimore Ravens, who signed Fagnano to a three-year, $3.1 million contract after he went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
According to Spotrac, the contract didn’t pay a signing bonus or include any guaranteed money. Turns out, he didn’t need money to motivate him.
Fagnano spent seven years in college between Maine and UConn due to injuries and the extra-COVID season granted by the NCAA. But he never gave up, and he had a truly impressive preseason.
Fagnano’s stats were stellar. In three preseason games, he completed 56 of his 75 pass attempts for 509 yards and four total touchdowns.
His third-down numbers were tops among AFC quarterbacks as he was 13-of-17 passing (76.5%) for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Milton of the Dallas Cowboys, a sixth-round draft pick in 2024, was the best in the NFL, completing 80% of his passes, just ahead of Fagnano.
He just needed a chance
After he stated his case on the field for the final time in a 41-3 preseason win over the Washington Commanders, he expressed his gratitude about having a chance to show what he can do.
“My goal coming in was just to make the most of my opportunities,” Fagnano said after the game. “What I can control is what I want to control. The stuff that is out of my hands is out of my hands. I think I have done a nice job to put myself in a good position. I can put my head on the pillow tonight and sleep well knowing that I gave all I had.”
And first-year Ravens head coach Jesse Minter didn’t discount the undrafted free agent QB. He watched intently.
“To his credit, he's put it on tape and he's put it out there,” Minter said Friday night. “He's been really consistent. He's played a certain way almost all three games, and so that's definitely something we'll have to take a look at.”
What will Fagnano’s role be?
That is still to be determined. Minter and his staff clearly saw value in the UConn product, but the Ravens do have a logjam at the position. Two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson is entrenched as the starting quarterback in Baltimore, and Tyler Huntley is a strong veteran backup.
A defined role probably doesn’t matter to Fagnano. He’s on the team, and he can keep proving himself.
The news Sunday was just another great thing to happen to Fagnano this summer. Last month, before training camp, he married high school sweetheart Lydia Smith in their hometown of Williamsport, Pa.
And for any Williamsport-area fans who want to go to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to see the Orioles play, the drive is just a little over three hours.
