Ravens C Danny Pinter suffers torn patella tendon, per Garafolo/Rapoport
Baltimore center Danny Pinter tore his patella tendon in Wednesday's joint practice with the Vikings, a season-ending blow for the career backup who had been working with the starters in camp.
The Ravens' center depth took a serious hit. Baltimore center Danny Pinter suffered a torn patella tendon in Wednesday's joint practice against the Vikings, sources told Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.
Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo): #Ravens C Danny Pinter suffered a torn patella tendon in yesterday’s joint practice with the #Vikings, sources tell me and @RapSheet. A rough one for Baltimore and Pinter, who had impressed while working with the starters in camp.
It's a brutal development for both the team and the player. Pinter, a career backup, had impressed while working with the starters throughout training camp — and now faces a season-ending injury at the exact moment he had earned extended run. Earlier Thursday, beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec had simply noted Pinter was among the Ravens not practicing; the severity of the setback is now clear.
The injury further complicates a Baltimore interior that was already navigating life without Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who signed with the Raiders in free agency. With Pinter down, the top candidates to absorb the snaps are Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn.
Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley): The injury to Danny Pinter (torn patella, per @MikeGarafolo and @RapSheet) continues the Ravens' struggles to replace Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who signed with the Raiders in free agency. The top options to replace Pinter are Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn. Pocic, who had been considered the frontrunner to be the starting center, has been brought along slowly. He is eight months removed from a season-ending Achilles injury. Ravens coach Jesse Minter indicated the plan all along was to increase Pocic’s activity level this week. This is a tough blow for Pinter, a career backup who had been working with the starters all training camp.
Pocic had been viewed as the frontrunner for the starting job but has been brought along slowly, eight months removed from his own season-ending Achilles injury. Per coach Jesse Minter, the plan all along was to ramp Pocic's activity level this week — a ramp that now takes on added urgency. For Pinter, a dependable reserve who was finally getting first-team reps, the torn patella tendon is a cruel interruption to the best camp stretch of his career.