BALTIMORE, July 23 (News Engine Primary) — The Baltimore Ravens have cut Diego Pavia before training camp even starts, ending a short offseason run for the former Vanderbilt quarterback and opening room on the roster for veteran center Ethan Pocic.
The move trims the Ravens’ 90-man offseason roster and narrows a quarterback competition that already had little room for another body. Lamar Jackson remains the starter, Tyler Huntley is back as the No. 2 quarterback, and Baltimore’s own roster updates had already pointed to a battle between Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano for the third spot.
What does it mean when a player is waived?
In NFL terms, waiving a player gives every other team a chance to claim him before he becomes a free agent. It is a common summer move, especially when teams need to make room for another player at a position where they see a clearer need.
That is what the Ravens did here. The team said Pavia was waived to make room for Pocic, a veteran center who joins the roster with training camp around the corner.
Why was Pavia in Baltimore in the first place?
Pavia signed with the Ravens after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Baltimore brought him in as an undrafted rookie quarterback and gave him a chance to compete during spring practices.
His arrival drew attention because he was coming off a strong final season at Vanderbilt. ESPN reported that Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted in 12 years. Other reports described him as the Heisman runner-up.
But attention does not always equal a roster spot. The Ravens’ quarterback room was already crowded at the top, and the team had little incentive to carry more than three passers into camp. With Jackson locked in as the starter and Huntley set as the backup, Baltimore’s final spring decision appeared to come down to the lower end of the depth chart.
What was the competition like?
Baltimore’s own reporting had framed Pavia as part of the fight for the No. 3 quarterback job. As that competition went on, the team said the race had narrowed to Thompson and Fagnano.
That left Pavia on the outside looking in before camp began.
For a player like Pavia, the timing matters. A summer tryout or offseason signing can turn into a real opportunity, but those chances often depend on injuries, roster math and how many players a team wants to keep at each position. In this case, the Ravens decided the roster spot was more valuable to them on the offensive line than at quarterback.
What happens next?
The Ravens have not said whether Pavia will get another chance in Baltimore, and the available reports do not show a next landing spot. For now, his path back into the NFL will depend on whether another team sees value in adding an extra quarterback, either for camp depth or as a developmental player.
For the Ravens, the move signals a straightforward roster choice: protect a spot for Pocic, keep the quarterback room lean, and move into camp with the players they believe fit best.
For Pavia, it is a quick reminder of how thin the margin can be for undrafted players trying to make a roster, even after a college career that put him among the sport’s most discussed names.
