The Cleveland Browns resolved one of the biggest position battles across the entire NFL when they named Joe Flacco as their Week 1 starting quarterback. However, a recent injury could force the Browns to quickly find a new starter on their offensive line before their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals rolls around.
On Saturday night, Cleveland finished off their preseason campaign with a 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, but it didn’t manage to escape the game unscathed. That’s because their starting center, Ethan Pocic, suffered a knee injury, and it sounds like the team is preparing to be without him for some time to start the season.
Browns Waiting for More News on Ethan Pocic’s Knee Injury
Pocic is a veteran offensive lineman who broke into the league with the Seattle Seahawks after getting selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After initially beginning his career as a guard, Pocic made the switch to center in his sophomore season, and while he endured some bumps in the road, he eventually became the Seahawks’ starting center for his final two years with the team.
After the 2022 campaign, Pocic signed with the Browns in free agency, and he’s been their starting center over the past three seasons. Heading into the 2025 season, Pocic seemed set to reprise his starting role at the center of Cleveland’s o-line, but a recent injury has put his status for Week 1 up in the air.
Against the Rams, Pocic exited the game early with a knee injury, and after the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski provided a murky update on his status, simply saying the team was going to wait for his testing to get done before making any decisions. According to May Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Pocic was seen leaving the Browns locker room with a brace on his injured knee.
“Browns C Ethan Pocic walked out of the locker room with a left knee brace after getting hurt during the game,” Cabot shared in a post on X.
Browns Hoping for Good News on Ethan Pocic’s Knee Injury
Losing Pocic would be a pretty big blow for Cleveland, largely because they don’t have much depth behind him at this spot. Undrafted rookie Justin Osborne’s season is already over after he got placed on injured reserve, leaving Luke Wypler, an unproven sixth-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, as the lone option behind Pocic.
The good news for the Browns is that if Pocic is forced to miss time, they can scour the market for another option at center with roster cuts right around the corner. A veteran player from another team could hit the open market, or they could look for a trade, but over the next few days, there will surely be options available for them to upgrade their offensive line depth. The team will be hoping for good news on Pocic, but if he misses time, they need a contingency plan, and fast.
