Three Potential Diego Pavia Landing Spots After Ravens Waive Rookie Quarterback

The former Vanderbilt signal-caller is looking for another NFL home.

Diego Pavia was waived on Thursday. | Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Ravens made a handful of roster moves on Thursday afternoon ahead of their 2026 training camp opening on Friday—one of which has put a polarizing quarterback back on the market.

In conjunction with the signing of veteran center Ethan Pocic, Baltimore waived rookie signal-caller Diego Pavia. The 24-year-old was originally invited to the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis after he went unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, but instead signed a three-year UDFA contract with the club.

Pavia getting waived keeps the club’s roster at the league-maximum 90 players heading into camp and leaves them with four quarterbacks on their roster: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano. Pavia is now subject to waivers, and if he clears, is free to sign with any NFL team.

In 2025, Pavia led the SEC in completion percentage (70.6%), passing touchdowns (29) and passer rating (170.4) while leading Vanderbilt to a 10–3 record—their first double-digit win season in program history. He also finished second in the Heisman Trophy race behind only Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.

As Pavia looks for his second NFL home, here are three potential landing spots that make sense.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have their starting quarterback in Bo Nix. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Current QB depth chart

Player	String
Bo Nix	Starter
Jarrett Stidham	Backup
Sam Ehlinger	Third string

Why Pavia could be a fit

Like the rest of the list below, the Broncos already have their starting quarterback in Bo Nix. The third-year pro is coming off the season-ending ankle injury he suffered in Denver’s divisional round win over the Bills, but is on track for the start of the team’s training camp that begins next week.

Behind Nix, the Broncos currently have Jarrett Stidham—who started the AFC championship game for them in January—and Sam Ehlinger, meaning they’re set at the backup spot. That said, it doesn’t mean they can’t use an offensive playmaker, and who better to look for one than coach Sean Payton.

For those unfamiliar, Payton used arguably the league’s best utility player of all-time in Taysom Hill’s skillset to a tee during his time coaching the Saints. Now, is Pavia on the same level as Hill? Of course not, but he’s an athletic, downhill playmaker who rushed for 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and is open to playing anywhere in the NFL.

“Put me on the f------ field,” Pavia said when asked if he’d be comfortable in a Hill-type role during an appearance on former NFL coach Jon Gruden’s QB Class this offseason. “Hell yeah, put me on the field … as long as we’re winning, I don’t care.”

Who knows, maybe Payton and the Broncos take a shot.

Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love is entering his fourth season as the Packers' starting quarterback. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Current QB depth chart

Player	String
Jordan Love	Starter
Tyrod Taylor	Backup
Kyle McCord	Reserve
Kyron Drones	Reserve

Why Pavia could be a fit

The Packers saw Jordan Love’s backup from the last two seasons leave this past spring, as Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins in free agency to take over as their starter. They responded by bringing in journeyman quarterback Tyrod Taylor, while Kyle McCord and Kyron Drones will battle for the No. 3 spot.

Adding further insurance behind Love—who’s played a full 17-game season just once since taking over as Green Bay’s full-time starter in 2023—would be a smart move, but the intriguing angle with Pavia is what head coach, play-caller and quarterback guru Matt LaFleur could get out of him. After the aforementioned Willis was essentially written off by the Titans and traded to the Packers for a seventh-round pick in 2024, he was able to turn his career around under LaFleur’s guidance. Once a sporadic, near-50% passer in Tennessee, Willis developed into an accurate thrower over the past two seasons, reaching a 79% completion percentage in 11 appearances while leading Green Bay to a 2–1 record across three spot starts.

Could LaFleur unlock something similar with Pavia—a raw but dynamic playmaker who could use some behind-the-scenes development? It could be worth the dice roll.

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert and Trey Lance are the Chargers' top two quarterbacks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Current QB depth chart

Player	String
Justin Herbert	Starter
Trey Lance	Backup
DJ Uiagalelei	Third string

Why Pavia could be a fit

The Chargers have arguably the thinnest quarterback room heading into the 2026 season, as behind franchise cornerstone Justin Herbert, they only have former first-round draft bust Trey Lance and second-year UDFA DJ Uiagalelei on the roster.

Los Angeles’s lack of depth could force them to explore adding another camp arm at some point this summer, or perhaps a more permanent solution behind Herbert. Both Lance and Uiagalelei are on just one-year contracts, meaning the team has little long-term security at the position beyond their franchise quarterback.

While this is ultimately the least-likely option of the three, a squad with Jim Harbaugh at head coach, Mike McDaniel at offensive coordinator and Pavia at quarterback would be wildly entertaining—to say the least.

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