Rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano is set to make his first NFL start Thursday night, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars after spending much of the season as Baltimore’s third-string quarterback.
Ravens coach Jessie Minter confirmed the undrafted rookie will start. It’s not yet clear whether veteran Tyler Huntley will be available as his backup after being injured in Baltimore’s Week 8 loss to Buffalo.
Fagnano will be just the second undrafted rookie to start a regular-season game for the Ravens. “It’s special,” he said. “It’s really the only way I can think about it.”
He moves up the depth chart after Lamar Jackson’s return from a three-game absence ended early in Sunday’s 36-10 defeat. Jackson, who had been sidelined with a high left ankle sprain, injured his thumb in the first quarter.
Fagnano has had some injury trouble of his own since stepping in for Jackson and Huntley. He practiced Tuesday wearing a brace on his right ankle, but said he felt good. “Every game you got bumps and bruises,” he said. “It’s just football, a physical game we play.”
The 25-year-old secured a roster spot after a strong preseason and threw for 91 yards in his NFL debut. Minter described him as “cool, calm and collected,” adding that he doesn’t get rattled easily.
Baltimore has lost three straight games and sits last in the AFC North. The team recently added quarterbacks Austin Reed and Kedon Slovis as injuries thinned out the position.
