The Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football, just four days after trouncing the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. With Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley out for a while, the expectation was that the Jags were going to face third-stringer Joe Fagnano. However, the whole situation just took a sudden twist.
Fagnano himself is dealing with an injury ahead of Thursday Night. This is why the Ravens signed Austin Reed, and there's a realistic chance that he'll get the starting nod even though he wasn't on the Baltimore roster to start the season.
The Ravens will start either Joe Fagnano or Austin Reed vs. the Jaguars
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told reporters that Joe Fagnano is dealing with some things physically but pointed out that the 2026 undrafted free agent could end up suiting up Thursday, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
If Fagnano isn't good to go, though, Austin Reed will get the starting nod. Reed went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Chicago Bears. He spent one year on their practice squad but was waived in 2025. The Western Kentucky product then spent time with Baltimore before he was waived again.
After his brief stint with the Ravens, Reed played in the USL for a year. He returned to Baltimore for his second go-round in 2026 but was once again waived before the regular season started.
There is speculation that the Baltimore could trade for quarterback Tyson Bagent, but the Chicago Bears' asking price may be too high, so barring anything unexpected, Reed will either start against Jacksonville or serve as a backup behind Fagnano on Thursday Night. Either way, the Jaguars will have a massive edge in the game.
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The Jaguars cannot afford to waste their massive edge vs. the Ravens
After easily trouncing Indianapolis in Week 8, the Jaguars were an 8.5-point road favorite for Thursday Night, and understandably so. They're one of the most complete teams not just in the AFC but in the whole NFL. On top of that, Baltimore could be down to its fourth-string quarterback in Week 9. On top of that, their defense has been inconsistent this season, and star running back Derrick Henry hasn't been nearly as dominant as he's been in past years.
When you add it all up, Jacksonville is in a great position to win its sixth game of the season. Having said that, it won't matter whether the Jags face Austin Reed or Joe Fagnano if they can't take advantage of the matchup. Sure, they just lost safety Eric Murray and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton to season-ending injuries, but even without them, they have no excuse not to steamroll a vulnerable Ravens team.
Baltimore is currently 4-4 and in last place in the AFC North. The Jaguars cannot pass up the chance to stick a fork in them, which is a realistic possibility when you take into account that they'll face either Joe Fagnano or Austin Reed.
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