Baltimore’s season had been hanging in the balance for weeks. Then Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills threatened to take away the one player who could still give the Ravens a fighting chance: Lamar Jackson. The Ravens watched as their two-time MVP left the game with a thumb injury that could keep him out for the rest of the year. Just like that, their Super Bowl ambitions were shattered. And as if that wasn’t a particularly cruel blow already, things only got worse from there. 

Backup Tyler Huntley was forced out with a toe injury, leaving the Ravens to turn to undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who was making his NFL debut. He threw for just 91 yards and an interception in the 36-10 loss, and even his availability for Thursday’s game remains uncertain. With Jackson headed for surgery and Huntley also dealing with an injury, Baltimore had to take another chance on its already depleted quarterback room.

“A new QB in Baltimore: The Ravens are signing Kedon Slovis to their 53-man roster off the Packers’ practice squad, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports. The options for Thursday night against Jacksonville now include Joe Fagnano, Austin Reed, and Slovis, who played in two games last season with Arizona,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero wrote on X.

Ravens Have Another Option in Kedon Slovis, But His NFL Experience Is Limited

Facing a short turnaround before playing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, the Baltimore Ravens brought in the 25-year-old Kedon Slovis to establish immediate depth.

However, Fagnano remains the likely starter if his ankle holds up. Slovis is more of an emergency backup or potential spot-starter, particularly with only a couple of days to get familiar with Baltimore’s offense. The bigger concern is just how little NFL experience the new arrival brings with him.

Slovis has appeared in just two regular-season NFL games, both with the Arizona Cardinals last season. He attempted only two passes, completing one for minus-two yards. He has never started an NFL game.

The 2024 undrafted free agent has also had a fairly winding route to Baltimore. After going unsigned in the draft, he joined the Indianapolis Colts but was released before the regular season. He then spent time with the Houston Texans’ practice squad before moving to Arizona in 2025. The Cardinals eventually promoted him to their active roster, where he made his two NFL appearances. He joined the Packers’ practice squad in September 2026 before Baltimore signed him away.

Baltimore targeted Kedon Slovis largely due to built-in familiarity. Ravens quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork held the same position with the Arizona Cardinals last season when Slovis was on the roster. Furthermore, wide receivers coach Keary Colbert coached Slovis during his standout freshman years at USC (2019-2021).

That familiarity could prove particularly useful with such a short preparation window. Woolfork already worked with Slovis in Arizona, while Colbert knew him from his USC days. Neither connection guarantees an easy transition, but Baltimore at least has coaches who know the quarterback it is bringing into an unfamiliar offensive setup.

Ravens Also Considered Another Former UFL MVP

Slovis wasn’t the only quarterback Baltimore looked at while trying to fill the gaps. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, the Ravens also worked out free-agent quarterback Adrian Martinez on Tuesday morning.

Martinez, 26, was named the UFL MVP in 2024 and has had stints with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets. However, he has appeared in only one NFL game. Baltimore ultimately signed Slovis instead, and Martinez had not been signed by the team at the time of the report.

The workout shows that the Ravens were exploring multiple options rather than simply bringing in the first available quarterback. With Thursday’s game approaching, they needed someone who could be added quickly and potentially get up to speed with the offense.

Austin Reed’s Familiarity Could Also Come in Handy

But Slovis isn’t the only signing the Ravens made recently. Along with the 25-year-old, Baltimore re-signed Austin Reed to their practice squad on Monday.

Unlike Slovis, Reed already knows Baltimore’s offensive setup. He spent part of training camp and the preseason with the Ravens, appearing in all three exhibition games. He completed six of his 12 attempts for 59 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also scoring on a 14-yard rushing play.

Reed has another connection that could help him settle in quickly. He previously worked with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle during their time with the Chicago Bears in 2025. Doyle is now running Baltimore’s offense, giving Reed some familiarity with the system he would potentially be asked to operate.

However, Reed is currently on the practice squad, unlike Fagnano and Slovis, who are on the 53-man roster. He would need to be elevated to the active roster to play on Thursday.

A Rookie Was Left to Handle the Bills’ Defense Without First-Team Reps

While Baltimore now has additional options, the urgency behind these moves becomes clearer when looking at what happened to Fagnano during his NFL debut.

During the game, Fagnano was battered by the Bills’ defense, taking a low hit from defensive lineman Ed Oliver that left him dealing with a lower-body injury. Shortly after, Minter also addressed Fagnano’s injuries in a post-game press conference.

“To Joe’s credit, he’s kind of fighting through a couple things he’s dealing with. But expect him to have a chance to play on Thursday,” Minter said.

What makes Fagnano’s NFL debut even more difficult to judge is how little preparation he had before entering the game. The undrafted rookie had received zero first-team reps during the week, as Jackson and Huntley were ahead of him on the depth chart. Head coach Jesse Minter acknowledged that Fagnano had not received much preparation but praised him for hanging in against a Bills defense that kept applying pressure.

The situation was unusual enough to make NFL history of sorts. According to ESPN Research, Baltimore became the first team since the 2017 Dallas Cowboys to have three different quarterbacks attempt a pass before halftime. Jackson, Huntley and Fagnano had all been involved in the passing game before the second half even began.

Fagnano finished with 10 completions on 21 attempts for 91 yards, an interception and a lost fumble. He had also led all quarterbacks with 509 passing yards during the Ravens’ three preseason games, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. So while his regular-season debut against Buffalo was difficult, the coaching staff had seen enough of him during the summer to keep him on the 53-man roster.

As a result, Fagnano, Reed and Slovis are the three quarterbacks currently being considered for Baltimore’s Week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens enter the game at 4-4 after three consecutive losses, with Jackson on injured reserve and Huntley unavailable for Thursday.

Fagnano is still expected to have a chance to play, but Baltimore has little room for another setback. If the rookie cannot go, the team could find itself turning to Slovis, a quarterback who has attempted just two passes in the NFL, or Reed, who has yet to appear in a regular-season game.