Has Ex-UConn QB Joe Fagnano Done Enough to Earn NFL Roster Spot?

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All an undrafted free agent in the NFL can ask for is a
chance to show what he can do.

Former UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano has gotten that this
preseason with the Baltimore Ravens, and he left a lasting impression.

His performance as Baltimore went 3-0 in the preseason was
so good that Fagnano has left first-year head coach Jesse Minter with a tougher-than-expected
decision at quarterback as roster-cut day comes on Sunday.

“To his credit, he's put it on tape and he's put it out
there,” Minter said Friday night after his Ravens thrashed the Washington
Commanders 41-3 in Baltimore. “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 Fagnano said

Because of injuries and the extra COVID season granted to
players in school in 2020, it took seven seasons for Fagnano to finish his
college career. But he never gave up on his goal of the NFL, and his
record-setting season for UConn in 2025 piqued the interest of league franchises.

He was one of those players who merely wanted a chance.

“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.”

What is Fagnano’s future with the Ravens?

We will know soon enough. Minter and his staff need to
decide whether they want to keep three quarterbacks on the roster by 6 p.m. ET
on Sunday when teams must cut their rosters to 53.

Lamar Jackson is entrenched as the starting quarterback in
Baltimore, and Tyler Huntley is a strong veteran backup. But Fagnano has proved
his value in three preseason games.

Taking over for Huntley, who led a touchdown drive in his
one series of the Baltimore victory on Friday night, Fagnano displayed the same
consistency, accuracy and maturity that defined his senior season at UConn. Against the Commanders, he was 19-of-27 passing
for 162 yards and a touchdown pass. He also scored a rushing touchdown.

Jackson
is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. At 29, he’s jentering his ninth NFL season with a 76-31 record as a starter. However, in
only two of his seasons has Jackson played every game, and he has needed a
reliable backup.

And if that’s Huntley, the Ravens would need a backup for
him.

An insider’s view

After the game on Friday, James
Brizuela from Ravens Roundtable had this to say about Fagnano:

“There is no world in which Tyler Huntley will be unseated
as the backup quarterback for Lamar Jackson, but Fagnano
deserves a shot with another team.

“Fagnano put together an impressive performance, where he
continued to show poise in the pocket and played like a veteran.

“…The Ravens may want to keep him on the roster as their
third emergency option, but if they do not, the rookie should get a shot
elsewhere.”

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