Diego Pavia's Deal With Ravens Isn't as Good as Advertised

Diego Pavia, a finalist for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, went undrafted last week.

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The former Vanderbilt quarterback was expected to be a late Day 3 pick at best.

Pavia told Jon Gruden during the pre-draft process that he chose not to have an agent for some of his college career because he didn’t want them taking away his hard-earned money. Pavia signed with Malki Kawa of First Round Management before the draft, and the agent’s recent deal with the Baltimore Ravens appears to have been made to look better than it was.

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Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pavia signed a three-year deal with the Ravens. Schefter suggested Baltimore signed him in advance of Pavia having to go through a tryout this weekend during its rookie minicamp.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the contract that Pavia signed is not out of the ordinary for undrafted rookies. The Collective Bargaining Agreement requires teams to sign those players for three years. Per Florio, the contract Pavia signed has no guarantees.

“The key is the guarantees,” Florio wrote. “Pavia, per multiple sources, received none. No signing bonus. No guaranteed salaries.”

The deal benefits Pavia if he suffers a serious injury (worthy of going on injured reserve) during rookie minicamp. The Ravens can cut Pavia at any time after he participates in the more glorified tryout.

Pavia has a great opportunity to stay with Baltimore after rookie minicamp. The Ravens entered the offseason needing backup quarterback help behind Lamar Jackson. Tyler Hunter is the QB2. In addition to Pavia, Joe Fagnano is another UDFA fighting for a roster spot this weekend.

Pavia played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder. The former JUCO quarterback became a household name at Vandy by leading the program to an upset win over Alabama in 2024. In 2025, the Commodores went 10-2 in the regular season, and were in the College Football Playoff conversation deep into November.

The Ravens should be getting a quarterback that is motivated to make his mark on the offense. He has size issues to overcome, but Pavia has enough talent to participate in the league, even if he begins his career on the practice squad.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 12:03 PM.