The Baltimore Ravens have waived divisive former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, just a day before rookies were due to report to training camp.
Pavia, the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season, was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent back in April after he was overlooked in the NFL Draft by all 32 teams.
He eventually signed a professional contract with the Ravens, later coming to terms with the team on a three-year deal.
But he will not get the opportunity to impress Ravens head coach Jesse Minter in training camp with Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano battling for his roster spot instead.
Pavia, who stands at 5-foot-10, had hoped to compete for the third quarterback spot behind two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and veteran Tyler Huntley.
Pavia led Vanderbilt to the first 10-win season in program history, passing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns.
The Baltimore Ravens have waived divisive former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has cut the former Vanderbilt star from his roster
Pavia, the Heisman Trophy runner-up from 2025, was not drafted by an NFL team this season
But his 5-foot-10 stature was a major question among scouts on whether Pavia could transfer that success to the NFL.
Pavia was brutally snubbed at the NFL Draft and his humiliating week took another twist when bizarre footage of him at a New Mexico strip club later surfaced.
The 24-year-old New Mexico native was seen with a wad of cash in the strip-club clip, which was reportedly filmed on March 8 at the Knockouts Gentlemen’s Club in Albuquerque.
According to TMZ, one source revealed that ‘all of the money’ seen on stage in the footage came from Pavia, who reportedly stayed at the club until 5am that night.
It was not the first time Pavia had sparked controversy over a club appearance, after previously doing so in the days that followed his Heisman Trophy heartbreak.
After being snubbed for the award, he initially re-posted an Instagram story of himself and his offensive line captioned ‘F-ALL THE VOTERS, BUT…..FAMILY FOR LIFE.’
Pavia was a four-year starter across two college programs, completing 62.2 percent of his passes in 53 career games for 10,255 yards with 88 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
Yet, there had been concerns over his size. He also has a history of wild antics, like holding a ‘F*** INDIANA’ sign at a New York club after losing the Heisman vote to Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
