Lamar Jackson Camp Update — August 31: The Room Kept Three Quarterbacks

The cut-day story in Lamar Jackson's room is the third chair. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano made the initial 53 — the first time Baltimore has kept three quarterbacks since 20 20, per Clifton Brown at the team's site — with Austin Reed waived to clear the way, per Jeremy Fowler at ESPN. Fagnano's case, per Brown: he led the NFL in preseason passing yards with 509, at 74.7 percent, with three touchdowns against one interception. Head coach Jesse Minter, per Brown: "To his credit, he has put it on tape. He has been really consistent." The prediction pieces missed it — Brown himself, the day before the deadline, had Fagnano clearing waivers and quickly signing to the practice squad — and with no coach or general manager availability since the cuts, there is no explanation on record for the three-quarterback call, only the tape.

Jackson's own week was one rep and a seat. He sat Friday's finale — Tyler Huntley started the 41 to three win over Washington, no Baltimore quarterback was sacked, and the Ravens outgained Washington 456 yards to 177, per Quentin Corpuel at the team's site — so he closes the preseason without a snap. His only reported action came in Wednesday's joint practice, a session Baltimore's own defense mostly dominated, where he threw a two-minute-drill interception to Mike Sainristil, per Tony Lombardi at Russell Street Report. That is one rep in one practice with no completion charting published, and we won't build more on it than that.

The question that follows him into September is the snap in front of him. Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic both made the roster; Gwyn started the finale but fumbled an under-center snap, and Pocic drew a holding penalty that erased a 20-yard screen, per Corpuel. No Week One starter has been announced, per Ryan Mink at the team's site, and Jackson said it himself on Wednesday: "It is still competition, I believe — coach said that." Around the center, the protection ledger thinned — tackle Diego Pounds traded to Kansas City, Danny Pinter out for the season, five linemen waived.

Our June preview argued Jackson's down year had an injury-shaped explanation and bet on his legs coming back with his health; in the Minnesota joint practices, Brian Flores's blitzes won both days against him, per Tony Lombardi at Russell Street Report. This week touched none of that — nothing in the window concerns his health, and the answer to whether he would play against Washington is no, so the preseason ends with the bet untested by game action and the center unresolved. We'll check in as the opener takes shape.

_Data via nflverse._