The Ravens’ first half against the Bills turned into a scramble almost immediately, and Joe Fagnano wound up in the middle of it. Lamar Jackson left in the first quarter with a wrist injury, then Tyler Huntley exited with a toe injury, and before long the undrafted rookie was stepping in as Baltimore’s emergency quarterback with 9:39 left before halftime at Highmark Stadium.
For Fagnano, the moment came with a built-in twist: his wife, Lydia Fagnano, used to be firmly in Bills Mafia.
The two are high school sweethearts who started dating at Williamsport Area High School in Pennsylvania. Fagnano proposed in May 2025, and they were married in July.
The 25-year-old quarterback was a long shot to survive training camp and make the Ravens’ 53-man roster, so when cut day rolled around, the couple handled the nerves in a way that fit the moment. They parked outside a Krispy Kreme and tried to see how many doughnuts they could eat before the call came in.
"From what I was told from vets and guys that have been through this, it's like 'no news is good news,'" Fagnano said of making the team, per the Ravens website. "When I got that text and the call to come in, immediately you start going through the situations in your head of what might be happening.
"So, yes - I was surprised. But that's not to say I didn't have confidence in myself.
I know I am a good football player. I think I belong in this league."
Lydia’s football loyalties had been pointed in a different direction before Joe joined Baltimore. She attended a Bills game at the old Highmark Stadium in 2022 with her whole family dressed in Bills gear, and she was still showing support for Buffalo as recently as July. She attended D'Youville University in Buffalo, too.
Once Fagnano signed with the Ravens, though, the switch was quick. The medical sales recruiter posted a photo at M&T Bank Stadium in late August and wrote, "Yay team, yay sports, yay football, yay Joe!💜."
Before kickoff, she also shared a family photo on her Instagram Stories and added, "Back home but as Ravens fans," she wrote.
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