3 Reasons Why Ravens Waived Diego Pavia Off Before Training Camp

The Baltimore Ravens have waived quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia has to wait until another NFL team claims him off waivers.

Pavia received zero Division I scholarships. Only two Division II schools offered him scholarships. Pavia told the press that scouts were “afraid” of his short height. Rather than accepting a D2 offer, Pavia took the JUCO route.

Pavia committed to play for New Mexico State Military Institute for two years before transferring to the University of New Mexico State. He caught the attention of the big players in D1 with inspiring performances.

In his fifth year, Pavia jumped straight to the SEC and transferred to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Pavia finished with a 17-9 record in his two years with Vanderbilt. During the 2025 season, Pavia completed 267 passes for 3539 yards and threw 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for eight scores on the ground. He finished runner-up in the Heisman voting.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Pavia as the 13th-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft. This placed Pavia as a late day three pick or going undrafted. He went undrafted, the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since Jordan Lynch in 2014.

Pavia did not receive many invitations to undrafted rookie trials for the first two weeks. Eventually, the Baltimore Ravens decided to give him a shot. A few days later, the Ravens signed Pavia to a three-year deal. However, on July 23, Diego Pavia was waived by the Ravens, a few days before the start of the spring training camp.

Pavia now has to wait until another NFL team claims him off waivers. He also has the option to join an international league, like the Canadian Football League. According to multiple reports, the Winnipeg Bombers hold Diego Pavia’s exclusive negotiating rights.

Diego Pavia was waived because the Ravens already have a loaded quarterback room

Lamar Jackson is the undisputed number one quarterback on the Ravens roster. They also brought back Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley for a third stint last year when Jackson was injured. Huntley signed a two-year contract extension in March, which will keep him in Baltimore until the end of the 2027-28 season. The Ravens also signed former Dolphins and Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson on a one-year deal.

Pavia wasn’t the only undrafted rookie whom the Ravens signed following the minicamp. They also gave former UConn starter Joe Fagnano a three-year deal. Even though Pavia is no longer part of the Ravens, they still have four quarterbacks on the roster.

Diego Pavia’s questionable personality may have pushed the Ravens to waive him from the team

Pavia’s journey from rags to riches is inspiring to athletes in similar positions. But his personality had many frowning on him.

Sure, he whipped big schools like Alabama and Auburn, but it doesn’t give him the freedom to do whatever he wants. From refusing to hire an agent to wearing headphones during the Heisman ceremony, Pavia’s actions rubbed several NFL executives the wrong way. If the NFL bigwigs detest one thing, it’s unruly behavior. To top it off, Pavia even made NSFW comments after conceding the Heisman Trophy to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

The NFL coaches got so spooked that Pavia went undrafted. Not the New York Jets, not even the Titans, a team based in Tennessee where he played for two years, wanted to take a chance with him. The Ravens gave him a chance to prove himself, but even they washed their hands of the 24-year-old signal-caller.

Diego Pavia is a roster casualty

According to ESPN, the Ravens let Pavia go to make room for veteran center Ethan Pocic. Pocic, a former second-rounder, has played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore needed someone of Pocic’s experience after they allowed Tyler Linderbaum to join the Las Vegas Raiders.

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