Pavia's NFL Path Uncertain
Ravens waive undrafted quarterback Diego Pavia to clear roster spot for veteran center Ethan Pocic
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Key Points
1
Pavia was waived just six days before the start of Baltimore's training camp to clear a roster spot for veteran center Ethan Pocic.
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Pavia earned major college honors, including two-time All-SEC selections, was the 2025 Heisman finalist (runner-up), and received Sporting News' College Football Player of the Year (2025) and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
3
At 5-foot-10, Pavia is the shortest quarterback in the draft class, a height that NFL teams often view as a prototype disadvantage.
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers hold negotiation rights for Pavia, signaling potential future interest in the Canadian Football League.
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During his NM State tenure, Pavia helped the Aggies to a 2022 Quick Lane Bowl victory and earned 2023 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year honors, finishing with 5,856 total yards and 52 total touchdowns for NM State.
The Baltimore Ravens waived undrafted quarterback Diego Pavia on Thursday, just six days before training camp opens, according to WBAL. The move clears a roster spot for veteran center Ethan Pocic and ends Pavia's shot at Baltimore's third-string quarterback job.
The cut is a striking fall for a player who was a Heisman Trophy runner-up just months ago. Pavia finished the 2024 college season with 3,539 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, a 70.6% completion rate, and 862 rushing yards. He went undrafted anyway — the first Heisman finalist since 2014 to go unselected, Yahoo Sports reported.
Height Concerns Shadowed a Historic College Career
At 5-foot-10, Pavia is the shortest quarterback in his draft class. NFL teams have long preferred taller signal-callers, and that bias followed Pavia despite his record-breaking numbers. The NFL world reacted quickly to his waiver. Many called it, in the words of one observer, a situation that has "got to be a humbling experience," Pro Football Network noted.
His college resume is hard to ignore. Pavia earned two All-SEC selections and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Sporting News named him its College Football Player of the Year. At NM State, he posted 5,856 total yards and 52 total touchdowns, helping the Aggies win the 2022 Quick Lane Bowl and earning 2023 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Baltimore's Crowded QB Room Left No Room to Grow
The Ravens signed Pavia as an undrafted free agent in April. He joined a quarterback group that already included Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson, and Joe Fagnano. With four quarterbacks ahead of him, Pavia had almost no path to meaningful practice reps, let alone a roster spot.
NFL teams typically carry two or three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Baltimore's decision to keep four QBs in camp squeezed out any room for a developmental player. Pavia never cracked the roster or the practice squad. The Pocic move signals Baltimore is now focused on shoring up its offensive line depth instead.
Winnipeg Holds CFL Rights as Pavia Weighs Next Move
Pavia's NFL journey may not be over. He can sign with any other NFL team as a free agent before training camps close. But if no team comes calling, there is already a path north. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers hold exclusive negotiation rights to Pavia in the Canadian Football League, ABQ Journal reported.
The CFL has long been a landing spot for quarterbacks who do not fit the NFL's size mold. Winnipeg's interest signals Pavia has options. At 24 years old, he has time to develop and find the right fit — whether that means another NFL shot or a chance to star in Canada.
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