Ravens Center Danny Pinter Expected to Miss 2026 Season With Torn Patellar Tendon

The Baltimore Ravens received devastating news Thursday regarding center Danny Pinter, who is expected to miss the entire 2026 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Baltimore Sun first reported the severity of the injury, while Reuters also reported Thursday that Pinter is expected to miss the season. The Ravens have not officially declared Pinter out for the year, but head coach Jesse Minter acknowledged Thursday that the veteran center is facing a lengthy absence.

Pinter was carted off the practice field Wednesday after apparently getting rolled up during a play. His teammates took a knee around him as the medical staff attended to him, and Pinter was later seen wearing a large brace on his right leg.

It is a brutal development both for Pinter personally and for a Ravens offensive line that appeared to be getting closer to answering one of its biggest questions entering the season.

Pinter had taken the majority of Baltimore’s first-team snaps at center during training camp and started the Ravens’ 24-7 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He had put himself in strong position to win the starting job before Wednesday’s injury.

The Ravens originally signed Pinter on March 26 after losing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. His one-year contract carried a maximum value of $2.75 million.

Pinter, 30, spent his first six NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after Indianapolis selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ball State.

The 6-foot-4, 301-pound lineman appeared in 77 regular-season games with 10 starts for Indianapolis. He played both center and guard during his Colts career and appeared in all 17 games during the 2025 season.

Pinter missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a broken ankle during the preseason, making this latest injury an especially difficult blow for a player who appeared ready to earn the largest starting role of his NFL career.

Pinter Had Emerged as the Favorite

Baltimore entered training camp without a predetermined starter at center.

Pinter, Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn were competing for the job, while Corey Bullock also remained part of Baltimore’s interior offensive line depth.

Earlier this month, offensive line coach and run game coordinator Dwayne Ledford said the Ravens intended to let the competition continue through training camp because all three primary candidates were performing well.

Over the following weeks, however, Pinter began receiving nearly all of the first-team work.

That was significant considering Baltimore added Pocic in July specifically to provide an experienced option at center.

Pinter took advantage of the opportunity and appeared to be closing in on the starting job.

Now the competition has changed dramatically.

Ethan Pocic Becomes Major Option

Pinter’s injury puts veteran Ethan Pocic squarely back into the spotlight.

Baltimore signed Pocic on July 23 to a one-year, $3 million contract with another $1.5 million available through incentives. The former Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns center brings significantly more starting experience than Baltimore’s other candidates.

Pocic has made 97 starts over nine NFL seasons.

The biggest question surrounding him this summer has been his recovery from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered with Cleveland last December.

Baltimore has been deliberate in bringing Pocic back.

Minter said after Wednesday’s practice that the Ravens had planned all along to increase Pocic’s workload this week.

“It’s why you sign guys like that. It’s to put them in the competition and two, to make sure you have enough in that situation.”

Minter also expressed confidence in the Ravens’ depth despite losing Pinter.

Pocic has extensive AFC North experience after spending four seasons as Cleveland’s starting center. He has started at least 10 games in seven of his nine NFL seasons.

If healthy, he now appears to be the most logical candidate to start Week 1.

Jovaughn Gwyn Has a Real Opportunity

The Ravens should not overlook Jovaughn Gwyn.

Baltimore signed Gwyn in March after he previously worked with Ledford in Atlanta. While Gwyn has very limited NFL starting experience, the Ravens have consistently praised his development throughout camp.

Gwyn performed well in Baltimore’s preseason opener against Philadelphia, earning the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among Ravens offensive players, according to the team’s website.

Minter specifically praised Gwyn’s combination of athleticism and strength.

“He’s just really powerful and athletic.”

On the snap immediately following Pinter’s injury Wednesday, Gwyn helped create a large running lane and drove Vikings defensive tackle Domonique Orange to the ground.

Those preseason and practice reps suddenly carry considerably more importance.

Baltimore’s coaching staff now has to determine whether Pocic’s experience outweighs Gwyn’s recent momentum.

Ravens Already Rebuilt Their Interior Offensive Line

The timing makes Pinter’s injury even more concerning.

Baltimore spent much of the offseason rebuilding its interior offensive line after Linderbaum departed in free agency.

The Ravens brought back veteran guard John Simpson and used their first-round draft pick on guard Vega Ioane. Baltimore then added Pinter, Gwyn and eventually Pocic to create competition at center.

The goal was to surround Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry with a stronger, deeper offensive line entering the 2026 season.

Center remained the one unresolved position.

Pinter appeared increasingly likely to provide the answer.

Now Baltimore is essentially restarting that evaluation with only weeks remaining before the regular season.

The Ravens open the regular season Sept. 13 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Before then, Baltimore still has preseason games against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 22 and Washington Commanders on Aug. 28.

Those games should provide Pocic and Gwyn important opportunities to establish themselves.

A Tough Break for Pinter

This is an especially difficult injury considering where Pinter stood in his career.

He had spent most of six seasons as a reserve in Indianapolis while playing behind established centers such as Ryan Kelly and later Tanor Bortolini.

Baltimore gave Pinter an opportunity to compete for a starting job following Linderbaum’s departure.

He appeared to be making the most of it.

Instead of entering Week 1 potentially making his debut as Baltimore’s starting center, Pinter now faces a lengthy rehabilitation process.

Patellar tendon injuries are among the more significant lower-body injuries an offensive lineman can suffer, and the reported diagnosis effectively ends Pinter’s opportunity to contribute during the 2026 season.

MSB Take

This one hurts.

Pinter was not simply another depth offensive lineman who went down during training camp. He was taking almost all of Baltimore’s first-team snaps and appeared to have legitimately earned the inside track to start.

For a player who spent most of his career waiting behind other starters, this looked like his opportunity.

Now it is gone before the regular season even begins.

From the Ravens’ standpoint, this is also exactly why signing Pocic was important.

Baltimore did not enter training camp assuming one player would win the center job. The Ravens built legitimate competition and depth at the position, and that preparation may prevent Pinter’s injury from becoming a catastrophic problem.

Pocic has 97 career starts. If his Achilles is completely healthy, Baltimore has a veteran who has spent years starting in the AFC North ready to step into the lineup.

Gwyn also deserves a serious look after an encouraging preseason opener and strong training camp.

Still, there is no way to sugarcoat losing Pinter.

He was playing himself into the starting lineup and appeared to be one of the better stories of Ravens camp.

Now Baltimore must move forward without him, while Pinter faces another long road back from a major injury.

For a Ravens team with Super Bowl expectations, the next two weeks will be crucial as Baltimore tries to establish continuity between Jackson and whichever center ultimately wins the job.