The Ravens’ center situation just keeps getting worse. Baltimore already lost Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum in free agency in March. The early favorite to replace him, former Colts backup Danny Pinter, suffered a season-ending injury during camp. 2025 backup Corey Bullock underwent offseason surgery and never really entered the competition before being claimed off waivers during final roster cuts.
That left two healthy centers on the Ravens’ roster heading into the regular season. Now, that number is down to zero. Head coach Jesse Minter announced that starter Jovaughn Gwyn (ankle) and backup Ethan Pocic (knee) both suffered “long-term” injuries in Baltimore’s Week 3 win in Brazil, leaving the team without a single true center on their roster.
Rookie Vega Ioane, who moved over from right guard to close out Sunday’s game, will prepare to start at center in Week 4, Minter added. His spot would likely be filled by 2025 starter Andrew Vorhees, though the Ravens have plenty of time to make an addition at either position before their next game.
Baltimore is still awaiting more details on the injuries to their top two centers, but Minter’s comments indicate that this is not a stopgap situation. For starters, the team needs to add at least one center for depth, and they could consider acquiring a potential starter at center or guard depending on how Ioane takes to his new spot. He held up in his eight high-pressure snaps on Sunday, and a full week of practice with Lamar Jackson will help significantly. Starting-caliber talent is much easier to find at guard than center, especially at this point in the season, so Ioane plus a veteran guard might be the ideal solution.
For Gwyn, the injury brings his first season as a starter to a screeching halt. The 27-year-old followed offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford from Atlanta to Baltimore this offseason and emerged as a dark horse to win the Ravens’ center job after Pinter went down. In an ironic echo of Linderbaum’s playing profile in purple and black, Gwyn excelled as a run blocker but struggled in pass protection over his first three starts. There was every chance of him growing into his first starting job in a brand-new offense, but now, he will work his way back to the field – and hope a starting job is still waiting for him if and when he gets there.
Pocic, 31, could be dealing with his second major injury in less than a year. He tore his Achilles last December and was still working his way back to 100%, which was one of the reasons he did not win the Ravens’ starting center job. Talk of him potentially replacing Gwyn during the season will be replaced with concern for his career outlook with multiple knee injuries already in his medical history.
Minter said that the Ravens would likely move Gwyn and Pocic to injured reserve, which would sideline them for at least four games and open two spots on the 53-man roster. The first-year head coach also indicated that his team came out of Sunday’s game without any other major injury concerns. Defensive tackle Travis Jones went down late in the game (and saved a crucial timeout by getting off the field without help), but Minter said he was “fine” and the injury was “really minor.” Wide receiver Zay Flowers (hamstring), who was on a limited snap count, is coming out of Brazil “really ready to push to be back in there closer to full time,” Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe) “will be a lot closer this week,” Minter added, which would return second-year lineman Carson Vinson to the bench after holding up in his first regular-season start on Sunday.
See More:
* [Baltimore Ravens Injuries](/baltimore-ravens-injuries)
* [Baltimore Ravens News](/baltimore-ravens-news)