The Ravens are down to their third quarterback in Buffalo. Tyler Huntley, who replaced an injured Lamar Jackson on Baltimore’s opening possession, hurt his toe early in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 1, and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano came in as the emergency quarterback.
Baltimore first listed Huntley as questionable to return, Yahoo Sports reported. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said that label reflected his condition more than any real chance of coming back, and NBC Sports later reported that Huntley won’t return against the Bills.
Buffalo led 13-7 when Fagnano took over. He’d never played an NFL snap before Sunday and wasn’t on the active list for the game. He was the Ravens’ designated emergency quarterback, the spot that let him enter once both passers ahead of him were hurt.
So, who is Joe Fagnano?
He took the long road. Fagnano started as a walk-on at Maine, transferred to UConn in 2023 and was named MVP of the 2024 Fenway Bowl after UConn beat North Carolina 27-14, according to Yahoo Sports. He signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent.
In case you missed how we got here
Sunday was supposed to be Jackson’s comeback. He had missed three games with a high ankle sprain, and his day lasted one play. His throwing hand hit a defender’s arm on a first-down pass intended for Zay Flowers, and he walked straight to the locker room. CBS Sports reported he was ruled out with a right thumb injury before the first quarter ended. We had the Jackson news earlier today.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Ravens hadn’t said how serious either injury is. The schedule doesn’t help: Baltimore hosts the Jaguars on Thursday, and it entered Sunday a game behind the Browns and Steelers in the AFC North, per USA Today.
Why it matters
McGraw Media’s read: nobody should judge Fagnano on this afternoon. He got thrown into a road game in Buffalo for his first NFL action, and simply protecting the ball would be a fair goal. The real problem is the calendar. Baltimore has a short week to find out whether Jackson’s thumb or Huntley’s toe will let either one play Thursday, and it’s chasing two division rivals while it waits. That answer matters more than the final score in Buffalo. Until the Ravens share an update, there’s no sense in hitting panic mode.
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