Ravens C Danny Pinter Suffers Torn Patella Tendon

The Ravens boasted one of the NFL’s best centers, Tyler Linderbaum, from 2022-25. Linderbaum missed just two games during that span and started in all 66 he appeared in, but the Ravens lost the three-time Pro Bowler to the Raiders in free agency. The Raiders gave Linderbaum a record-setting contract worth $81MM over three years.

Baltimore never came close to re-signing Linderbaum, leaving the team to go bargain shopping for a replacement in free agency. A week after losing Linderbaum, the Ravens brought in Pinter on a one-year, $2.75MM deal with $1.5MM in guaranteed money.

The 30-year-old Pinter made just 10 starts in 77 games with the Colts from 2020-25, but he carries far more experience than teammates Jovaughn Gwyn and Corey Bullock. Pinter, Gwyn and Bullock were the Ravens’ only starting center candidates until they added veteran Ethan Pocic to the mix in mid-July. They guaranteed Pocic $3MM on a one-year, $3.25MM accord.

Pocic divided his first nine seasons between Seattle and Cleveland, where he combined for 97 starts in 114 games. That includes 57 straight starts with the Browns over the past four seasons. While the 31-year-old is easily the Ravens’ most battle-tested center, he had an extended stay on the open market after suffering an early December Achilles tear last season.

With Pocic still under nine months removed from the injury, the Ravens have eased him back in this summer. Head coach Jesse Minter indicated the Ravens always planned to ramp up Pocic’s activity level this week, though, Jamison Hensley of ESPN relays.

Now that Pinter is out for the foreseeable future, Hensley points to Pocic and Gwyn as the Ravens’ main options to man the pivot. Gwyn, whom the Falcons drafted in Round 7 in 2023, never made a start in three years in Atlanta. He then moved to Baltimore on a one-year, $1.2MM contract in free agency. The Ravens did not give Gwyn any guaranteed money, but he could be the one snapping the ball to Lamar Jackson when they open their season against the Colts on Sept. 13.