Browns fear Achilles injury for C Ethan Pocic

Cabot’s early report noted Pocic grabbing his ankle, and the team’s associate editor & staff writer Kelsey Russo called it a calf injury shortly after he left the field of play. According to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, though, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media following the game that “it’s likely an Achilles injury.” The 30-year-old veteran will undergo further testing to determine the extent of the injury.

Once the first center (and fifth offensive lineman) taken in the 2017 NFL draft out of LSU, Pocic played out his rookie contract in Seattle, not earning a full-time starting role until his final year with the team, though he did start 16 games over his first three seasons as an injury replacement. The Seahawks were unwilling to commit to Pocic long-term but signed him for an additional, fifth year. He ended up losing the starting job to Kyle Fuller, who handed the job right back eight weeks into the season.

After that year, Pocic decided to test the free agent waters and landed himself in Cleveland on a veteran minimum one-year deal. Starting 13 games for the Browns that year, Pocic played the best football of his career, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as the 3rd best center in the NFL that season. Cleveland rewarded Pocic with a three-year, $18M commitment, and though he hasn’t quite played to the same level over the course of that deal, he’s been a mostly dependable presence on the offensive line.

In truth, Pocic has not played in every game of a season since his rookie year, be it due to injury or benching. His last three years in Cleveland have been his most consistent, seeing him only miss three games from the start of the 2023 season to today, but if this truly is an Achilles injury that sidelines him, he’ll fall five games short of a full season this year, continuing the streak of incomplete campaigns.

As a result, it will be interesting to see what the future brings for Pocic. This was a contract year for the nine-year veteran, and it looks like he’ll be limping into free agency. Cleveland will likely look to get younger across the line as they move forward, and Pocic will have a long road to recovery, if his Achilles tendon has indeed ruptured, as suspected. It will be a long time before he’s able to start working out for teams again.

When Pocic exited the game Sunday, the Browns turned to Luke Wypler, a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State two year ago. Earlier this year, Wypler got a start against the Dolphins as a sixth offensive lineman, eventually subbing in to replace Cornelius Lucas at right tackle. Despite a fumbled snap that cost the team a two-point conversion today in their two-point loss to the Titans, Wypler will likely be the man in the middle for what’s left of the Browns’ season. If right guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Jack Conklin, who missed Sunday's game with injury, are unable to play again next week, left guard Joel Bitonio will be the only Day 1 starter left standing in Cleveland.