It seems like Diego Pavia will kickstart his professional football career away from the NFL. Taking to social media, he announced that negotiations have already begun for a future in the UFL.
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“appreciate everyone reaching out with everything on my career,” Pavia wrote on X. “My agent @malkikawa and the UFL are currently in negotiations to make this happen! whatever team I end up at, I can promise you one thing- You will get everything I got 💯.”
Despite finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting, Diego Pavia went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He subsequently signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in late April. But Baltimore waived him on July 23 to make room for veteran offensive lineman Ethan Pocic.
The UFL and CFL have been potential options for him since then. The latter league’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers already hold negotiating rights for Pavia.
But first, Diego Pavia needs to enter the 2027 draft on November 18, 2026, in Missouri. The 2027 UFL Draft will have 15 rounds, with the Columbus Aviators claiming the number one pick this year. As far as the player pool is concerned, Pavia can certainly enter because the spring league wants rookies and players from the class of 2023-26 who were listed on the NFL roster since July 13, 2026. And Pavia was a member of the Ravens’ quarterback room during that time.
However, Pavia’s entry into the UFL could be easier than he thinks. UFL owner Mike Repole has previously claimed that he’d sign Pavia up the day after he comes to him.
The UFL offers an alternate route to professional football players, some of whom also make it to the NFL in time. Star Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey used to play for the Birmingham Stallions. Dallas’ KaVontae Turpin used to play for the New Jersey Generals.
Pavia’s post on X made another revelation. He has finally hired an agent, Malki Kawa, the founder and CEO of First Round Management. This revelation came not too long after Pavia’s opinion on having agents created quite a ruckus on the internet.
“I’m representing myself,” Pavia said on Jon Gruden’s QB Camp series. “I didn’t think it was fair that someone was gonna represent me and take five to 10 percent… Ain’t nobody taking my money. I’ll tell you that.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio was one of the many who criticized the Heisman Trophy runner-up because of his take. Florio stated that a good agent could be “a difference maker for any prospect.” After all, the agents have a massive web of networks and arguments that can convince the teams’ front office to at least consider their candidates. According to Florio, a good agent can also get a player drafted sooner.
It has been a tough journey for Pavia, who was doubted to have an NFL career in the first place by many. A key reason why Pavia fell out of the draft was his height, which was listed at just under 5-foot-10.
Diego Pavia also came to a crowded QB room. Baltimore already had Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Joe Fagnano, and Skylar Thompson (now out injured) in the lineup, making it very difficult for Pavia to break through. He would, at best, be a backup in the NFL even if he had beaten Thompson and Fagnano in competition.
Nevertheless, for now, Diego Pavia needs to focus on his negotiations with the UFL front office. The UFL talent pool might find a star in Pavia, who threw for more than 3,000 yards in his senior season at Vanderbilt. During his stint with the Commodores, he put the program on the map and helped it reach its first 10-win season in 2025, a result that UFL teams will be keen on replicating.