Ravens Rookie Joe Fagnano Set to Start Against Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter confirmed on Tuesday that undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano will start at quarterback for the Week 9 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game is scheduled for Thursday night. Fagnano, 25, will lead the offense in his second start of the season.

The move follows a week in which both of the team's other quarterbacks were lost to injury. Starter Lamar Jackson suffered a right thumb injury during the Week 8 contest against the Buffalo Bills. He left the game after a collision with pass rusher Greg Rousseau on the first snap. Backup Tyler Huntley also exited that game with a turf toe injury.

Both Jackson and Huntley are expected to be placed on injured reserve before the Jaguars game begins. This decision clears the path for Fagnano to take over as the primary signal caller. Kicker Tyler Loop is also set to join the injured reserve list, further altering the roster depth for the upcoming week.

Fagnano gained his first starting experience under pressure in last week's loss to Buffalo. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards. He threw one interception and lost a fumble in that contest. The quarterback played college football at the University of Connecticut and joined the Ravens organization in the spring after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

During the summer training period, Fagnano secured a spot on the opening 53-man roster by outperforming fellow undrafted rookie Diego Pavia. Minter noted that the rookie began earning more playing time when injuries occurred roughly ten days before the first preseason game. The coach credited Fagnano's strong preseason performance as a key factor in his confidence for the role.

In the preseason, Fagnano completed 56 of 75 passes for 509 yards. He recorded three passing touchdowns and just one interception. His completion percentage stood at 74.7 percent during that period. Minter described the upcoming challenge as an exciting opportunity to play in front of the home crowd and emphasized the eagerness of the roster to compete against the high-quality Jacksonville team.

Despite the positive outlook, Fagnano may not be fully healthy for the contest. He appeared to injure his ankle during the loss to Buffalo but remained in the game. On Tuesday, he was observed at practice wearing a large brace on his right ankle. When asked about the injury after practice, Fagnano described his condition as good, noting that such bumps and bruises are an inherent part of the physical nature of the sport.