The Ravens waived the undrafted rookie quarterback, days ahead of training camp.
The move clears a spot on the 90-man roster for veteran center Ethan Pocic, who officially signed his one-year deal worth a maximum of $4.5 million.
The Numbers Game
Pavia was competing for the No. 3 quarterback job behind Lamar Jackson and veteran backup Tyler Huntley.
Baltimore has narrowed that competition to veteran Skylar Thompson, who shined during minicamp, and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano out of Connecticut.
TRENDING: This video of rookie quarterback Diego Pavia at Baltimore #Ravens camp has resurfaced and gone viral on social media after the team cut him today.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) July 23, 2026
What do you notice…?
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/xWU2rc3Q5p
With Jackson leading the way and Huntley re-signed this offseason, the Ravens may only carry two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, which made the fifth arm in the room expendable.
There was some familiarity behind the original signing, as head coach Jesse Minter has a close relationship with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, who coached Pavia the past two seasons and hired Minter as his defensive coordinator in 2021.
A Decorated College Career
Pavia's college resume made his NFL path all the more surprising.
He finished second in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting behind Fernando Mendoza and became the first Heisman finalist in 12 years to go undrafted.
At Vanderbilt, Pavia led the Commodores to a 10-3 record and their first double-digit-win season in school history, setting single-season school records for wins, passing yards with 3,539, and passing touchdowns with 29.
He also finished second among all FBS players with 334.8 total yards per game while adding 862 rushing yards and 10 scores.
Pavia won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-American honors.
His contract with Baltimore contained no signing bonus and no guarantees, and he finished the full offseason program with the team.
He will now go through the waiver system, and if he goes unclaimed, he becomes a free agent again.
