Ravens sign undrafted QB Joe Fagnano and OLB Ethan Burke, waive OLB Adisa Isaac

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When the Ravens opened training camp in late July, the road to a 53-man-roster spot for an undrafted rookie seemed almost inconceivable.

On Sunday, general manager Eric DeCosta kept two.

Quarterback Joe Fagnano, who led the NFL in passing yards this preseason, and outside linebacker Ethan Burke, who beat out 2024 third-round pick Adisa Isaac for a job, both made the team’s initial 53-man roster, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Fagnano was one of the surprises of the summer. Undrafted out of Connecticut and unsigned until a rookie minicamp appearance in Owings Mills, the 25-year-old didn’t earn regular snaps in training camp until third-stringer Skylar Thompson suffered a season-ending injury in early August.

But, in three preseason wins, Fagnano was unflappable. He finished 56-for-75 (74.7%) for 509 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and took just one sack. Coach Jesse Minter acknowledged after the Ravens’ win Friday over the Washington Commanders that Fagnano was “definitely something we will have to take a look at.”

“My goal coming in was just to make the most of my opportunities,” Fagnano said after the game. “What I can control is what I wanted to control. The stuff that is out of my hands is out of my hands. I think I have done a nice job to put myself in a good position, but I can put my head on the pillow tonight and sleep well knowing that I gave it all I had. What is out of my hands and what is out of my control is not my worry.”

Burke, who spent part of his childhood in Maryland and was once committed to the Terps’ lacrosse program, was considered a Day 3 prospect entering his senior season at Texas. But he went undrafted after a quiet 2025 (three sacks).

Burke started strong in camp, and his play carried over into the preseason. He had a sack and a forced fumble in the Ravens’ win over the Minnesota Vikings and added another forced fumble against the Commanders.

“You could make a case, depending on which game you are looking at and which practice you are looking at, that everybody in that room has played at a level that could help us win games,” Minter said. “So the room has done a great job. Ethan himself has done a great job. I thought Adisa had a great night, [and] ‘Ruck’ [Kaimon Rucker] had a great night. So those guys certainly make it really challenging, and it is a good problem to have.”

Isaac, who was waived, was selected out of Penn State after a redshirt senior season in which he recorded 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

When Isaac arrived in Baltimore, he was already dealing with a hamstring injury. That lingered through his rookie season, and he played just four games.

With an offseason to recover, Isaac returned healthy for 2025 training camp. He had an impressive camp and looked like a roster lock. But in the second preseason game, a win over the Dallas Cowboys, Isaac dislocated his elbow.

“It is a violent game,” Isaac said Friday regarding his injury. “This is football; things happen. It is just about how you respond to it. I feel like I have done a good job of responding to it well, staying positive and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

The injury knocked him out for the season and lingered into the beginning of this year’s training camp.

Isaac said there were a couple of setbacks in his recovery and that “everything just got ruptured.”

When he returned to the field July 31, he was wearing a heavy-duty elbow brace. He said he’s “working through” playing with it to see whether it’s something he plans to wear moving forward. He didn’t feel he was playing with hesitation, though.

“There’s only one way to go through it is straight through the fire, so I don’t really try to think about it too much,” Isaac said after the first preseason game.

Isaac started taking reps on the third team but quickly worked his way up to the second team, with some first-team reps thrown in. He also contributed on special teams.

He finished the preseason with a strong performance against the Commanders, recording five tackles with one sack.

“I feel like there is always more to do,” Isaac said about his preseason performance. “I feel like I definitely wanted to show a lot more, but like I was saying earlier, just more opportunities leads to more success, a better chance of showing what you can do. So I feel like I put a good foot forward, and I just want to continue to do it, keep stacking.”

Although Isaac said he tries to stay positive, his injuries did not allow him to realize the potential the Ravens saw in him. At the time they drafted him, general manager Eric DeCosta said he saw Isaac quickly joining the pass rush rotation.

“He’s got great length, which is a critical factor,” DeCosta said after drafting Isaac. “He’s got heavy hands, he’s got some different moves, he’s got speed and quickness, and I think he’s tenacious. And so, I think all of those things ... when you think about our best pass rushers, I think those are a lot of the traits that those guys have, so we’re very excited.”

In addition to being an athletic pass rusher, Isaac was a character pick. He earned the coveted “Red Star” label from one scout.

Isaac grew up in a single-parent household with three older siblings who are nonverbal due to various diagnoses. Isaac has been an advocate for people with disabilities.

If he clears waivers, he could be signed to the practice squad, but ESPN reported other teams are interested in the young pass rusher.

This article has been updated.