Ravens cut Diego Pavia before rookie reports to training camp
Baltimore waived rookie quarterback Diego Pavia 83 days after signing the former Vanderbilt star as an undrafted free agent.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Ravens cut Diego Pavia on Thursday, ending the rookie quarterback’s brief run in Baltimore one day before rookies were scheduled to report for training camp.
Baltimore announced the move in a team statement, saying it had waived Pavia. CBS Sports reported the transaction came 83 days after the Ravens signed him on May 1 as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt.
Pavia arrived with a loud college résumé. He was the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up, but his first NFL stop ended before camp practices began.
What does Diego Pavia's release mean for the Ravens quarterback room?
Pavia had been part of the competition for Baltimore’s third quarterback job behind Lamar Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP, and Tyler Huntley, a former Pro Bowler, according to CBS Sports.
With Pavia gone, CBS Sports reported that Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano remain in that mix. Thompson was a seventh-round pick in 2022, while Fagnano entered the league in 2026 as an undrafted free agent from Connecticut.
The third quarterback job is the spot behind the starter and primary backup. CBS Sports reported there is a strong chance Baltimore keeps only Jackson and Huntley on its 53-man roster during the season, with a third passer spending most of his time on the practice squad.
That roster math matters in August. CBS Sports reported Baltimore is likely to give most of its preseason game quarterback snaps to Thompson and Fagnano after Pavia’s release.
Pavia's Vanderbilt production made him a name to watch
Pavia’s college numbers were hard to miss. CBS Sports reported he led Vanderbilt to the first 10-win season in program history and set single-season school records for wins, passing yards with 3,539 and passing touchdowns with 29.
He also ranked second in college football in total yards per game at 338.5, according to CBS Sports. He tied for third nationally with 39 total touchdowns.
Across his college career, CBS Sports reported Pavia had 119 total touchdowns and 88 passing touchdowns, both the most in college football since 2022.
CBS Sports listed Pavia at 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds and described the 24-year-old rookie’s NFL path as difficult given his size.
The report also noted that some NFL teams could view Pavia as a risk because of attention tied to his reaction after the Heisman vote. CBS Sports reported Pavia posted an expletive-filled image about Heisman voters after losing the award to Fernando Mendoza, then later apologized.
For Baltimore, the immediate result is a cleaner quarterback room before camp opens. Jackson and Huntley remain the established top two, while Thompson and Fagnano are left to chase whatever developmental role the Ravens keep behind them.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.