Ravens third quarterback Joe Fagnano made his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after Baltimore lost its top two quarterbacks to injury in the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Starter Lamar Jackson was ruled out with a right thumb injury on the Ravens' first offensive play, and backup Tyler Huntley then suffered a toe injury in the second quarter and was listed as questionable to return, leaving undrafted rookie Fagnano as the only available quarterback.
The sequence turned a much-anticipated return into a quarterback emergency. Jackson was playing for the first time after missing three games with a high ankle sprain, and the Ravens entered the Week 8 game at 4-3 against a 5-1 Buffalo team. Within less than a half, Baltimore was down to an emergency third quarterback who had never played in a regular-season NFL game, with running back Justice Hill reported as the next man up if Fagnano were injured.
Jackson's return lasted one play. On Baltimore's first offensive snap, his throwing hand made contact with Bills defender Greg Rousseau while attempting a pass intended for Zay Flowers, which fell incomplete. Jackson headed straight to the locker room and was subsequently ruled out with a right thumb injury, ending his comeback after three games out.
Huntley, who had run the offence during Jackson's absence, took over and kept Baltimore in the game. He completed 2 of 4 passes for no yards before his own injury in the second quarter. NBC Sports reported that Huntley injured his toe on a tackle by Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver that twisted him, and that he was questionable to return.
That opened the door for Fagnano. The undrafted rookie entered the game with 9:39 remaining until halftime, according to NBC Sports, as Baltimore's emergency third quarterback. Under that designation, he was eligible to play only because both Jackson and Huntley had been knocked out by injury. Reports noted the unusual consequence: Huntley could return only if Fagnano were himself injured.
Fagnano's first NFL drive did not produce points. The Ravens were set up by a 59-yard kickoff return by Rasheen Ali, but kicker Tyler Loop bounced a 34-yard field-goal attempt off the upright with 7:41 left in the second quarter, leaving Buffalo ahead 13-7. On Baltimore's next second-quarter drive, Bills linebacker T.J. Parker sacked Fagnano at the Ravens' 28-yard line on third down, ending the possession. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that the rookie, playing in his first NFL game, struggled to connect with receivers.
Buffalo's defence had already made its mark on the quarterback position before Fagnano entered. Cole Bishop blew up Huntley on a blitz, forced a fumble, and Kaleb Elarms-Orr recovered at the Ravens' 20-yard line. Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer was also doubtful to return with a right hamstring injury, according to NBC Sports.
Fagnano's path to the field explains why his debut drew so much attention. He joined Baltimore in 2026 after finishing his college career at Connecticut, following an earlier stint at Maine, and was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He earned a spot on Baltimore's initial 53-man roster after an impressive preseason, and reports said he led the NFL in preseason passing yards, completing 56 of 75 passes for 509 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.
He had already been close to action in recent weeks. Fagnano served as Huntley's backup for each of the last three games while Jackson was sidelined, with veteran Skylar Thompson on injured reserve. On Sunday he was inactive in the usual sense but listed as the emergency third quarterback, a designation that keeps a third passer available without using an active roster spot on game day, provided the first two quarterbacks are injured.
The Ravens' situation was made worse by the stakes of the game. Buffalo entered 5-1 with one of the league's most efficient offences, averaging 32.8 points per game, while Baltimore entered 4-3 trying to end a two-game losing streak. Jackson's return was supposed to stabilise an offence that had spent three weeks adjusting to his absence. Instead, Baltimore had to simplify its approach for a rookie making his debut in a hostile road stadium.
Fagnano is a former Connecticut standout who developed into a productive college passer after his time at Maine. His preseason performance — 56 completions on 75 attempts, 74.7 percent, for 509 yards — made him a talking point around the league, and The Athletic reported that multiple teams reached out about trading for him, but Baltimore opted to keep him.
That background is why coaches and analysts framed his debut as more than a footnote. He was not a random emergency option; he was a developmental quarterback the Ravens had deliberately protected. But a regular-season debut against Buffalo's defence, with the score 13-7 and the offence already disrupted, is a different test from preseason football, and his first two drives showed the gap: a missed field goal after a long kick return, then a third-down sack to end the next drive.
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle faced the familiar emergency-quarterback problem: protect the rookie with the run game and short passes, avoid obvious passing situations, and hope the defence and special teams keep the score close until Huntley's status becomes clearer. With Justice Hill as the reported next option behind Fagnano, the margin for another injury was effectively zero.
The live reporting captured how quickly the situation changed. Bills Wire reported at 2:13 p.m. ET: "Backup QB Tyler Huntley has a toe injury. Third-string QB Joe Fagnano is in for the Ravens." Ravens Wire put it plainly: "The Baltimore Ravens are down to their third quarterback Sunday afternoon after Tyler Huntley suffered a toe injury against the Buffalo Bills and was listed as questionable to return."
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Huntley's status on social media, writing that "Ravens QB Tyler Huntley (toe) questionable to return," and noting, per the broadcast, that running back Justice Hill was now the backup to Fagnano. The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov similarly reported that the undrafted rookie was now in the game.
Ravens Wire's account of Fagnano's background noted that he "earned his roster spot after an impressive preseason" and that he entered as Baltimore's emergency third quarterback, eligible to play after injuries forced Jackson and Huntley from the lineup. The same report stressed the playoff stakes, describing the game as one "with significant AFC playoff implications."
Losing two quarterbacks in one half is rare, and it changes a team's season, not just a game. If Jackson's thumb injury keeps him out beyond Sunday, and if Huntley's toe injury lingers, Baltimore could face weeks of uncertainty at the most important position, even after Jackson had just returned from a high ankle sprain.
It also matters for the AFC race. Buffalo entered the game at 5-1 and Baltimore at 4-3, with both teams chasing playoff seeding. A loss in which the Ravens were forced to a third-string rookie would not necessarily define their season, but it would make the margin for error smaller in a conference where a single game can decide home-field advantage.
For Fagnano, the debut matters regardless of the result. Emergency third quarterbacks rarely get a real chance, and his first regular-season snaps came in a live, competitive game against a winning team, not in garbage time. How he handles the rest of the game — and whether Huntley can return — will shape whether Baltimore needs to look outside the organisation for quarterback help in the coming week.
The immediate question is Huntley's status. He was listed as questionable to return, and under the emergency-quarterback rules reported on Sunday, he could return only if Fagnano were injured. If Huntley cannot return, Fagnano will finish the game, and the Ravens will have to assess both Jackson's thumb and Huntley's toe before their next game.
Baltimore will also have to decide whether to add quarterback depth. With Skylar Thompson on injured reserve and Fagnano as the only healthy passer if both Jackson and Huntley are out, the team may need to sign or elevate another quarterback during the week. Any update on Jackson's thumb, in particular, will drive that decision, because a multi-week absence would change the Ravens' plans entirely.
For now, the game itself continues with Baltimore's season, for a few hours at least, in the hands of an undrafted rookie who led the NFL in preseason passing yards and then waited three games for a chance he never expected to get this way.
Why is Joe Fagnano playing for the Ravens? Because Lamar Jackson was ruled out with a right thumb injury on the first offensive play, and Tyler Huntley then suffered a toe injury in the second quarter and was questionable to return. Fagnano, the emergency third quarterback, was eligible to enter only after both were injured.
Who is Joe Fagnano? An undrafted rookie quarterback out of Connecticut, via Maine, who earned a Ravens roster spot after an impressive 2026 preseason in which he completed 56 of 75 passes for 509 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Can Tyler Huntley return to the game? He was listed as questionable to return. Reports on the emergency-third-quarterback rules noted that Huntley could return only if Fagnano were injured.
What was the score when Fagnano entered? Buffalo led Baltimore 13-7 in the second quarter. Fagnano's first drive ended with a missed 34-yard field goal, and his next drive ended with a third-down sack.
What happens if Fagnano is injured? Reports from the broadcast said running back Justice Hill would be the next man up at quarterback for Baltimore.
Related coverage: Lamar Jackson thumb injury: Ravens star exits Bills game on first play, NFL Week 8 Sunday preview: Lamar Jackson returns as Vikings chase 7-0.
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