Ravens Dump Pavia Before Camp; QB3 Depth Stays in House

Diego Pavia's tenure in Baltimore lasted 83 days. The Ravens signed the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up as an undrafted free agent on May 1, then waived him on July 23—one day before rookies were scheduled to arrive at training camp. The move signals that Pavia, despite his college pedigree at Vanderbilt, didn't convert his skill set into meaningful competition for the third quarterback slot behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Pavia's competition for that third spot included 2022 seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson and 2026 undrafted free agent Joe Fagnano out of Connecticut. The Ravens' quarterback depth chart is unlikely to feature more than Jackson and Huntley on the 53-man roster in 2026, with a third QB spending most of the season shuttling between the practice squad and game-day inactive lists. The majority of preseason reps will flow to Jackson and Huntley, meaning any challenger faced an uphill climb from the start.

Pavia's college credentials were legitimate: he led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season in school history while setting single-season records for passing yards (3,539) and passing touchdowns (29). His 88 career passing touchdowns led college football since 2022. But his 5-foot-10, 203-pound frame—undersized for the NFL—combined with a reputation management issue (an expletive-laden social media post about losing the Heisman to Fernando Mendoza) likely created enough friction to outweigh his on-field accomplishment. NFL teams operate on margins thin enough that a perception of distraction can disqualify a borderline prospect fast.

For prop bettors, this move carries minimal direct impact on Ravens passing prop lines. Jackson's workload and efficiency remain unchanged; Huntley's backup role stays locked in place. The team's commitment to their current QB hierarchy suggests no urgency to shuffle the deck or extend reps to an unproven developmental arm during games that count. Training camp and preseason will now showcase Thompson and Fagnano in elevated reps, but neither carries enough offensive responsibility to influence season-long receiving or passing prop lines. Baltimore's passing distribution and pace remain predictable.

The real market signal here is structural: the Ravens believe their quarterback situation is resolved for 2026. Jackson is the unquestioned floor, Huntley provides stability, and the third spot is a practice-squad afterthought. That stability keeps offensive game-plans intact and suggests minimal week-to-week volatility in passing prop deployment. For bettors tracking team identity, Baltimore's offense will operate within narrow parameters—no emergency QB shuffles, no desperation passing sequences born from depth chart chaos.