Ravens place Gwyn and Pocic on IR as Ioane remains at center

Saturday, October 3 update

Baltimore placed centers Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic on injured reserve Saturday and elevated guard Kyle Hergel from the practice squad for Sunday's game against Tennessee. The transactions deepen the offensive line changes after both centers were injured in the fourth quarter of the Ravens' win over Dallas in Rio de Janeiro.

Gwyn injured his ankle and Pocic hurt his knee. Rookie guard Vega Ioane is set to remain at center against the Titans after moving there during the Dallas game. Baltimore's Saturday announcement confirms that the two veteran centers will be unavailable while Ioane continues in the position.

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The injuries leave Baltimore without three centers who had been part of its plans. Danny Pinter was already on injured reserve after a knee injury during a training-camp joint practice. Gwyn and Pocic now join him, requiring the Ravens to build depth around the rookie who finished the Cowboys game in the middle of the line.

Baltimore signed Hergel and Andre James earlier in the week. James had been on Tennessee's injured reserve list with a high ankle sprain before being released September 1. Those additions preceded Saturday's formal IR moves and gave the team more interior-line options before facing the Titans.

Hergel's standard elevation makes him available for Sunday's game. He had previously been on Chicago's practice squad, where he worked with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The Ravens' announcement identifies that familiarity as part of his background, alongside eight NFL appearances and 45 offensive snaps with New Orleans.

Hergel entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Saints in 2024. His elevation adds a guard to the game-day group while Ioane continues at center; Baltimore has not announced that Hergel will start. The distinction in their listed positions matters to how the roster changes fit together: two centers move to IR and an interior reserve is added for this game.

Coach Jesse Minter had described Gwyn's and Pocic's injuries Wednesday as long-term issues while stopping short of confirming season-ending absences. Saturday's injured-reserve transactions settle their immediate roster status without supplying a return date for either player.

Glenn Erby's independent Ravens Wire report confirmed both IR moves and Hergel's elevation. Baltimore enters the Tennessee game with Ioane carrying the center assignment and newly acquired depth behind an offensive line that has lost multiple options at the position.

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Earlier reporting retained; Saturday status above supersedes earlier availability

Baltimore expects to be without both Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic for more than a short stretch after injuries in Sunday's 34-31 win over Dallas. Coach Jesse Minter said Monday that both centers look like longer-term absences, though the team was still working through details. Gwyn hurt an ankle and Pocic a knee. Neither had been officially placed on injured reserve in the club's Monday update.

The immediate replacement is first-round rookie Vega Ioane. He opened the season at right guard, moved to center in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys and is preparing to play there for Sunday's home game against Tennessee. Andrew Vorhees took over at right guard after the switch. Minter said the Ravens may add a player as they sort out their best five offensive linemen, but he has not announced a signing or a final Week 4 starting lineup.

The disruption reaches beyond a single injury. Danny Pinter had been in line for the starting center job before a season-ending knee injury in August. Gwyn won the Week 1 role, while Pocic offered an experienced alternative after signing in July. Sunday's sequence forced Baltimore to use another plan during a live game. Ioane had taken some emergency center work in practice, according to the team's account, and handled snaps on a go-ahead touchdown drive and Baltimore's final offensive possession.

For a roster builder, the decision is whether to trust Ioane at center for multiple weeks and how to replace his snaps at right guard. The Ravens have kept their offense productive through three games, but a center change affects snap exchange, protection calls and the line's continuity with Lamar Jackson. Baltimore's staff can use the Tennessee practice week to test that arrangement before deciding whether it needs outside depth.

The injured-reserve question remains open. In the club's published press-conference transcript, Minter said both players were in the range where that move could be considered and that the team would decide over the next couple of days. A potential IR designation is not a completed transaction, nor does a longer-term outlook specify a return date. The next roster report and practice participation will tell whether Ioane remains the center and who fills the adjacent guard spot.

The disruption reaches beyond a single injury. Danny Pinter had been in line for the starting center job before a season-ending knee injury in August. Gwyn won the Week 1 role, while Pocic offered an experienced alternative after signing in July. Sunday's sequence forced Baltimore to use another plan during a live game. Ioane had taken some emergency center work in practice, according to the team's account, and handled snaps on a go-ahead touchdown drive and Baltimore's final offensive possession.

For a roster builder, the decision is whether to trust Ioane at center for multiple weeks and how to replace his snaps at right guard. The Ravens have kept their offense productive through three games, but a center change affects snap exchange, protection calls and the line's continuity with Lamar Jackson. Baltimore's staff can use the Tennessee practice week to test that arrangement before deciding whether it needs outside depth.

The injured-reserve question remains open. In the club's published press-conference transcript, Minter said both players were in the range where that move could be considered and that the team would decide over the next couple of days. A potential IR designation is not a completed transaction, nor does a longer-term outlook specify a return date. The next roster report and practice participation will tell whether Ioane remains the center and who fills the adjacent guard spot.