Joe Fagnano

A Walk-On Spot at Maine

Maine had not been looking for a quarterback that year. Nick Charlton, the former Maine head coach who later coached him again at UConn, told Sports Illustrated: "We weren't even planning on taking a quarterback."

The walk-on status did not last long. Sports Illustrated reported that he earned a full scholarship by the second practice of his first camp in 2019, and the Ravens' team website says he left that camp as the backup. In early October the starter, Chris Ferguson, hurt his foot, and the true freshman took over. For that first season Sports Illustrated counted a 4-2 record, 1,835 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and a 176.8 passer rating. He was the team's Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Injuries broke up the rest of his time at Maine. In four games in the spring of 2021 he threw eight touchdown passes against one interception. An ankle injury ended the following season after four games. In 2022 he started all 11 of Maine's games.

Following Nick Charlton to UConn

By then Charlton was the offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut, an FBS program. Fagnano transferred there ahead of the 2023 season to play for him again. He won the starting job. In the second game of the season he hurt his shoulder, and the injury ended his year. The lost season counted as a redshirt.

Injury redshirts and the extra year granted for the COVID-19 season stretched his college career to seven seasons: four at Maine and three at UConn. National Football Post tallied his career at 51 games, 10,926 passing yards, 94 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

The 2024 Fenway Bowl Against North Carolina

A year later he was back on the bench, having lost the 2024 starting job to Nick Evers. Evers was hurt in the opener, and Fagnano played the next 10 games. UConn won nine games that season, its first nine-win season since 2007, according to the Ravens' account of his career.

The season ended at Fenway Park in Boston, where UConn beat North Carolina 27-14 in the Fenway Bowl. Fagnano was named the game's Offensive MVP.

Three Thousand Yards and One Interception

In 2025, his seventh and final college season, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 161.03 passer rating. He threw one interception all year. National Football Post reported that no other FBS quarterback with at least 200 attempts finished the season with only one.

UConn went 9-3 in the regular season and was invited back to the Fenway Bowl, this time against Army on Saturday, December 27, 2025. Fagnano opted out of the game, and UConn played its second straight Fenway Bowl without its starting quarterback.

Undrafted, Then 509 Preseason Yards

He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl and was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. No team picked him in the April 2026 draft. Right after it ended, the Baltimore Ravens signed him to a three-year contract as an undrafted free agent. The value of the deal was not reported by National Football Post, WFSB or Webb Weekly, the outlets that covered the signing.

He called his preseason debut "a blast." Over the whole preseason he threw for 509 yards, the most of any passer in the league, Sports Illustrated reported. The Ravens kept him on the 53-man roster. The team's own website ran a feature on September 1 titled "How Joe Fagnano Became the Ravens' 'Cinderella Man'".

On making the team, he told the Ravens' website: "I know I am a good football player. I think I belong in this league." In the same interview he added: "Now, I have to kind of come back down to Earth and realize that I have a job to do."

Buffalo, Then Thursday Night Against Jacksonville

The job arrived on November 1, 2026, in a game against the Buffalo Bills. Lamar Jackson left with a thumb injury and Tyler Huntley with a toe injury. Fagnano made his NFL debut in the 36-10 loss and finished 10 of 21 for 91 yards with an interception.

Two days later head coach Jesse Minter named him the starter for the Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fox Baltimore reported that Fagnano was also dealing with an ankle injury of his own. Of the quick turnaround, he said: "Short week, first one I've been a part of."

The first start, on November 5, went badly. Jacksonville won 33-10. Fagnano completed 10 of 18 passes for 60 yards, threw no touchdowns and was intercepted twice. The only Baltimore touchdown came on a 65-yard run by Justice Hill. The loss was the Ravens' fourth in a row and left them at 4-5.

His player page at CBS Sports lists Jacoby Brissett as acquired by the Ravens in a trade and expects Fagnano to move back to the backup role once Brissett is available. The same page gives Fagnano's age as 25. None of the sources reviewed for this article published the value of his rookie contract, so no net worth estimate is given here.

Sources

• Inside Joe Fagnano's Unlikely Rise to Ravens Starting QB: 'I Always Felt Like He Was Going to Have a Chance'
• How Joe Fagnano Became the Ravens' 'Cinderella Man'
• Rookie Quarterback Joe Fagnano Enjoys a Special Debut
• Ex-UConn QB Joe Fagnano signs 3-year deal with Ravens
• Former UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano signs with Ravens
• Raven Joe
• UConn, Army eager for last hurrah at Fenway Bowl - CBS Sports
• UConn football team preparing for second straight Wasabi Fenway Bowl appearance against Army
• Ravens set to give Joe Fagnano his first career start at QB with Jackson, Huntley injured
• Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Baltimore Ravens Live Score and Stats - November 5, 2026 Gametracker - CBS Sports
• Joe Fagnano, Baltimore Ravens, QB - News, Stats, Bio - CBS Sports
• Joe Fagnano Biography - ESPN