Diego Pavia’s Ravens contract has key element missing after coach’s ‘be better’ warning

Diego Pavia has a legitimate opportunity to earn a place on an NFL roster.

The Heisman Trophy finalist went undrafted at the 2026 NFL Draft – a feat which hadn’t happened since Jordan Lynch in 2014 – but accepted an invitation to Baltimore Ravens minicamp.

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He signed a three-year deal shortly after.

The former Vanderbilt quarterback now has a chance to vie for a role on the team behind QB1 Lamar Jackson and expected backup, Tyler Huntley.

As it stands, the Ravens have five quarterbacks on the 90-man roster after signing veteran Skylar Thompson on Monday.

Thompson, who last played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, joins Pavia, Jackson, Huntley and Joe Fagnano in the quarterback room in what is sure to be a competitive battle to make the final roster.

As news circulated that he would be joining the Flock, NFL icon Deion Sanders reached out to Pavia on social media, where he wrote, “I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN!

“Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget. Much love and God bless you.”

Although Pavia’s contract has been described as a ‘three-year deal’, it is notable for what it’s lacking – guarantees.

When putting pen to paper, Pavia did so with the knowledge that it came with neither any signing bonus, nor a guaranteed salary.

As footage from training camp surfaced on social media, there was a school of though that he appeared shorter than the center he was taking snaps from – Pavia was recorded as 5ft 10in at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Ravens’ first-time head coach Jesse Minter sent a stark warning to the young QB.

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“So now he’s in the door, and it’s like, ‘Show us what you can do,'” Minter told reporters. And just like all the undrafted rookies, that’s what I would say.

“For us, we see it as an opportunity to bring a player in that could potentially be something, and that’s really what this is for us.

“He’s had some experiences that are learning experiences that he could learn from and be better from. I don’t think anybody would dispute that,” Minter added.

“But when you talk to the people inside that building (at Vanderbilt) and what he’s about as a player, he is showing up early every day and working really hard.”

Support from his new teammates

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, who just had his fifth-year option picked up by the organization, welcomed new teammate Pavia to the team during an interview backstage at the Kentucky Derby.

“Congrats. It’s a dream come true,” Flowers said of Pavia.

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“Anybody that chases their dreams and makes it happen, I think, always congrats, because it’s a long road to get there.”

When asked if he had any advice for his new teammate as he bids to make the final 53-man roster, Flowers offered four words, “Be himself. That’s all.”

In the 2025 campaign for the Commodores, Pavia completed 70.6 percent of his passing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns, to just eight interceptions.

He rushed for a further 862 yards and 10 scores as he led the SEC outfit to a 10-3 record.

Now, he’s got to put in the hard work if he is to impress Minter and co enough to make the final roster, and achieve the ultimate dream of reaching the NFL.

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