Joe Fagnano will make his first NFL start tonight, November 5, 2026, when the Baltimore Ravens host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) on Prime Video. He is only the second undrafted rookie quarterback to start for Baltimore, after Anthony Brown in 2022, according to NFL.com.
He got here because the depth chart collapsed in a single afternoon. On November 1 in Buffalo, Lamar Jackson hurt his right thumb on the Ravens’ first offensive play, and coach Jesse Minter said the injury needs surgery and could end his season, the AP reported. Backup Tyler Huntley went down with a toe injury in the second quarter. Fagnano, the emergency third quarterback, finished the 36-10 loss 10 of 21 for 91 yards and an interception.
🏈 NFL MODEL — THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PROPS
Jaguars 🐆 vs. Ravens 🟣
Baltimore is starting rookie QB Joe Fagnano against a top-six Jacksonville defense. Our model projects a 24–13 Jaguars victory, but the most interesting opportunities might be in the receiving markets.
Here are our favorite TNF props. 📊
💰 MODEL BETTING CARD
🔥 Brenton Strange OVER 32.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
* 📊 Projection: 43 yards
* 📈 Estimated EV: +14–22%
* 💵 Stake: 0.50u
Strange averages 47.7 yards per game, and Baltimore’s defense presents opportunities underneath. Just 33 yards needed.🔥 Mark Andrews OVER 18.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
* 📊 Projection: 29 yards
* 📈 Estimated EV: +8–16%
* 💵 Stake: 0.25u
Fagnano should lean on shorter, manageable throws. Andrews could serve as a security blanket if Baltimore struggles to push the ball downfield.👀 ADDITIONAL PROP LEANS
🏃 Derrick Henry OVER 70.5 Rush Yards (-110)
Projection: 83 yards
🎯 Jakobi Meyers OVER 39.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
Projection: 48 yards
🏈 Joe Fagnano OVER 28.5 Pass Attempts (-124)
Projection: 31 attempts
These are leans rather than official plays. Game script and player usage introduce enough uncertainty to keep them off the betting card.🧠 EXPECTED GAME SCRIPT
Jacksonville controls the trenches, Lawrence distributes the ball efficiently, and Baltimore struggles to sustain drives behind its inexperienced quarterback.
The biggest question is whether Baltimore can keep Derrick Henry involved or falls behind and forces Fagnano into 30+ passing attempts.🎯 FINAL SCORE: Jaguars 24, Ravens 13
💵 Proposed exposure: 0.75u
Which TNF prop are you targeting tonight? 👀
#NFL #TNF #Jaguars #Ravens #SportsBetting
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#NFL🏀#WNBA🏀#Fanduelparlays 🔐#PROPS#MLB#Gambling𝕏#Parlay🔥 @Playbook— Let’s Eat PICKS COMMUNITY (@Russellking1) November 5, 2026
Seven college seasons and a tryout
Fagnano’s road was long before it got fast. He walked on at Maine, played four seasons there and three more at UConn, starting 45 games in all, per the Ravens’ official site. No team drafted him in April. He came to Baltimore on a tryout and then led the NFL with 509 preseason passing yards.
That summer convinced the Ravens to keep three quarterbacks on their opening roster for the first time in three years, ESPN reported. Fagnano walked into his post-preseason meeting with general manager Eric DeCosta expecting to be cut. Instead, he had made the team, and he called his parents. DeCosta has since nicknamed him “Cinderella Man.”
Plays in the living room
While he waited for his turn, Fagnano ran walk-throughs at home with his wife, Lydia, who reads him the calls. He told ESPN she “probably knows the playbook just as well as us at this point.”
His coach describes him as hard to rattle. Minter called him “cool, calm and collected,” USA Today reported, and receiver Zay Flowers has said Fagnano knows the playbook by heart.
One start, and a lot riding on it
The setting is not easy. Baltimore is 4-4, last in the AFC North and on a three-game losing streak, while Jacksonville arrives at 5-2. Fagnano is also playing through an ankle injury, though he was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.
Help may be on the way next week. Yahoo Sports reported the Ravens were finalizing a deal for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, so tonight could be Fagnano’s only start for a while.
He also has a bit of history within reach. A win would make him the first former UConn quarterback to win an NFL start since Dan Orlovsky did it with the Indianapolis Colts in 2011, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
And if you are wondering how to say his name, he settled that on day one: it’s Fin-YAH-noh.
Tune in at 8:15 p.m. ET for the first snap, the real test of his Cinderella story.
