Baltimore Ravens starting center Danny Pinter is expected to miss "an extended amount of time" after injuring his right leg during joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings, coach Jesse Minter said Thursday.
Pinter, 30, was closing in on a starting job for the first time in his six-year NFL career before getting carted off the field on Wednesday. He was later seen wearing a brace on his right leg.
Minter declined to give details of Pinter's injury, but the NFL Network reported that he tore his patella tendon, which is typically a season-ending injury. Pinter will get different opinions on his injury, according to Minter.
"We'll see how it shakes out," Minter said, "but it looks like he'll definitely miss some time."
This is the most significant injury of the summer for Baltimore and continues the Ravens' search to replace Tyler Linderbaum, who signed a record-setting three-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. The top options to replace Pinter are Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn. Pocic was considered the front-runner to win the starting center job at the start of training camp because of his experience, but he had been behind Pinter and Gwyn on the depth chart.
"It's probably still a competition and we'll see how it shakes out over these next couple weeks," Minter said.
With Pinter now sidelined indefinitely, this could open up the opportunity to move into the starting role for Pocic, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract (including $3 million guaranteed) with Baltimore last month. The Ravens had been bringing Pocic along slowly all training camp because he was eight months removed from tearing his Achilles.
Minter indicated that the plan had already been to increase Pocic's activity level this week. Pocic has made 97 starts in his nine-year career, including 13 starts for the Cleveland Browns last season.
Corey Bullock, who was activated off the non-football illness list on Aug. 5, will also figure into the battle at center. Bullock will "absolutely" get snaps at center in Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings, Minter said.
"The timing for both of those guys [Pocic and Bullock] is good to ramp into the competition," Minter said.
