Since his high school senior year, there’s one thing common about Austin Reed: He was grossly underestimated; yet, he kept making the most of his opportunities. When he was let go by the Chicago Bears in 2024, many wondered if they had let go of a phenomenal quarterback. After getting his second NFL chance with the Baltimore Ravens on August 12, that’s exactly what he did.

He first showed off his dual-threat nature against the Philadelphia Eagles when he scored on a 14-yard run in the 24-7 preseason opener win. Theoretically, he had already made the QB competition behind Lamar Jackson difficult. But he was playing with a chip on his shoulder. In the preseason finale, he found Carnelius Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown in a 41-3 win over the Washington Commanders. For a quarterback known to give highlight reels day in and day out with the UFL’s Dallas Renegades, that was enough proof of potential. But just hours after that standout performance, Reed received some bad news.

“Ravens waived quarterback Austin Reed, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on X.

You see, the Ravens signed Reed 17 days ago because veteran quarterback Skylar Thompson was placed on injury reserve going into the training camp. While the Ravens had already locked QB1 Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley behind him, the question of depth remained. That’s where Reed came in.

He battled rookie Joe Fagnano for the final quarterback spot. Unfortunately for Reed, Fagnano simply did more with his chances throughout the preseason.

Reed gave Fagnano a run for his money

Fagnano made a strong case, completing 34 of 47 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He saved one of his best outings for the finale against Washington, going 19-of-27 for 162 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore’s 41-3 win. But it’s not to say that Reed wasn’t coming around.

The UFL player finished the preseason 6-of-12 for 59 yards, one passing touchdown, one rushing TD, and one interception. In fact, ahead of the preseason finale, Reed had a strong showing.

Case in point: his debut with the Ravens. It hadn’t been long since Reed was in Baltimore, but he was put into the preseason opener against the Eagles. There, during a scramble, he looked and looked but couldn’t find anybody open. And just like that, instincts kicked in, and Reed ran 14 yards right into the end zone.

“It was really exciting,” Reed said. “I got to give a little credit to my old teammate, Ajene Harris, who always told me, ‘Man, nobody’s ever looking at you. You need to take off and run. There are yards out there for you.”

That was his UFL experience talking…

In ten games in 2026, he threw for 1,923 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions for the UFL’s Dallas Renegades. But Fagnano’s consistency ultimately separated the two in the battle for Baltimore’s third quarterback spot, even though Reed had former connections to a name on the Ravens’ coaching staff.

How Austin Reed’s connection to a Ravens coach could help him stay in the NFL

When Reed opted for the NFL Draft in 2024, the Chicago Bears signed him as an undrafted rookie for a short time before waiving him. Then, he met Declan Doyle, the current offensive coordinator for the Ravens.

Considering that Reed did have a good performance throughout the training camp and preseason, the Bears could now come knocking on his door. After all, he was also on the team’s practice squad for some time. It is worth mentioning, though, that the Bears are already carrying four QBs as of now. But there’s one historical data point why Reed should still not lose hope.

More than 90 former UFL players are currently on NFL rosters, including more than 50 from the 2026 UFL season. In fact, the UFL is one of the trusted ways for many undrafted football players to enter the NFL. But with August 30 being the deadline for NFL teams to share their final 53-man roster, Austin Reed is not the only one getting waived.

Ravens make another roster move

The Ravens open their regular season against the Indianapolis Colts on the road on September 13, but before that, they had to send the final list of players that they will be carrying in 2026. And they are already making the moves.

The first name after Reed came from the defensive end of the ball. The team announced yesterday that they were trading their defensive tackle C.J. Okoye to the New York Giants. In exchange, the team will get a 2028 seventh-round draft pick, as per the NFL Network. What’s the hard pill to swallow is that Okoye was making strides with the Ravens.

Last season, he played 13 games, finishing with 15 tackles and one quarterback hit. This year, Okoye made his presence felt in the Ravens’ 41-3 preseason win over the Washington Commanders, recovering a fumble and recording one tackle and one quarterback hit.

Now, this trade to the Giants will reunite Okoye with Giants head coach John Harbaugh and defensive line coach Dennis Johnson, who both worked with him in Baltimore. But there are more cuts made or expected.

• CB Robert Longerbeam was waived, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
• Waived undrafted center Nick Dawkins, according to The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker.
• Fullback Lucas Scott was waived, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebeic.
• Waived veteran WR Chris Moore, according to Zrebeic.
• The team is releasing undrafted rookie running back Dontae McMillan, according to The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino.

As expected, the Ravens entered this position with many talented names that made this decision even harder, especially after a 3-0 preseason. However, going from a 90-man roster down to a 53-man roster is a necessity. For now, the team will focus on improving chemistry among this group and finalizing its depth to begin its regular season in 13 days.