Two weeks into the NFL season, quarterback depth is already getting tested everywhere, and that has put an unexpected name into the conversation: Joe Fagnano.
The former UConn Huskies quarterback could, at least in theory, become part of the league’s trade chatter because of the wave of injuries hitting the position. The reigning champion Seattle Seahawks have already moved from Sam Darnold to Drew Lock.
The Washington Commanders are without Jayden Daniels for multiple weeks. The New York Giants lost Jaxon Dart for the season to a knee injury.
The Atlanta Falcons have had to turn to their third-string quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings started Carson Wentz instead of Kyler Murray in Week 2, and the Chicago Bears just saw Caleb Williams leave a game with a hamstring issue.
That kind of chaos makes a capable backup more valuable than ever, which is why Fagnano is at least worth asking about.
Fagnano spent seven seasons in college from 2019-25, using the redshirt rules and COVID exemptions that were available to him. He played four years at Maine before transferring to UConn, where he spent three seasons and became the starter in 2024 and 2025.
Last season, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,448 yards, with 28 touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating was 161.0.
UConn went 9-3 in the 2025 regular season, earned a spot in the Fenway Bowl, and lost to Army. Fagnano did not play in that game, and the Huskies finished 9-4.
The real question is whether the Ravens would move him if a quarterback-needy team called. The answer there seems to be yes.
Lamar Jackson is locked in as Baltimore’s starter, and Tyler Huntley has been the longtime backup. Fagnano also brings a different style than either of them, which makes it hard to see Baltimore rushing to reshape its offense around him, even if the team clearly believes he has upside.
Whether another team would actually trade for him is a different story. Fagnano has age and experience working in his favor, but he has never started an NFL game.
He also doesn’t have enough NFL seasoning to show up somewhere else and immediately run a new playbook without a hitch. The traits are interesting.
The skill set is interesting. But it still feels like a long shot that a team would view him as more than a third-stringer and hand him a starting job.
The Giants are the one team that stands out. After losing Dart and watching Jameis Winston struggle on Monday night against the Rams, they could be looking for another quarterback.
Even so, Fagnano still feels like a stretch. If anyone is worth monitoring, though, it’s New York.
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