The Baltimore Ravens’ center situation remains unresolved. The regular season is in sight, and the starter has yet to be locked in. If anything, it’s only gotten more uncertain over the past couple of weeks.
With Danny Pinter’s season ending due to a torn patellar tendon, there’s a two-man race for the center spot: Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn. Gwyn has gotten his time in the spotlight, but now it’s Pocic’s turn.
Jesse Minter recently revealed that Pocic would get first-team reps this week. It’s a huge opportunity for the veteran who appears to have all but worked his way back from an Achilles tear.
If Pocic passes this test, he may emerge from the dust as Baltimore’s starting center in 2026.
Ethan Pocic is closing in on starting center duties for the Baltimore Ravens
We know Ethan Pocic can play ball. He’s been in the NFL since 2017, totaling 97 career starts, 86 of which have come at center. That’s the kind of experience you need in the middle of the offensive line, especially on an offense led by a first-year playcaller in Declan Doyle.
All offseason, though, the issue has been his health. He tore his Achilles in December of last season—you’re asking for the best-case recovery if you want him on the field for Week 1. The Ravens have been ramping him up, and given his latest trend, a Week 1 start might be feasible.
Pocic will need to prove he’s ready for a full game’s worth of action on a weekly basis. Training camp and preseason reps are one thing, but lining up in the trenches for four quarters is completely different. This week will be incredibly telling.
It’ll also be a matter of Pocic being back in starting-caliber shape. Achilles tears can send a player’s career off the tracks, and for 31-year-old guys like Pocic, send them to retirement. If he’s back to form, though, he’ll be an easy plug-and-play starter.
Jovaughn Gwyn could still give Pocic a run for his money. He’s been especially nasty since the start of preseason, and he also has the full support of offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who coached him on the Atlanta Falcons over the past three years.
Unfortunately, inexperience will likely doom Gwyn’s chances. He has just 11 career offensive snaps to his name. If Pocic proves ready this week with first-team reps, he’ll almost certainly beat out Gwyn and start in Baltimore’s season opener.
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