Pro Football Rumors
Former Browns center Ethan Pocic has been cleared to return to the football field after recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last year, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pocic, 30, went down in December after starting the first 13 games of the 2025 season, his fourth as Cleveland’s starting center. 2023 sixth-round Luke Wypler finished the year in his place. With his contract set to expire, the Browns let Pocic hit free agency and signed former Packer Elgton Jenkins to take over at center.
Originally a Seahawks second-round pick in 2017, Pocic started 40 games across his first five NFL seasons. He dealt with multiple injuries in Seattle and appeared in just 12 games per year with most of 2019 missed due to a back injury. He arrived in Cleveland on a one-year deal worth close to the veteran minimum in 2022. His Browns debut featured the best grades of his career from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) and led to a three-year, $18MM extension the following offseason.
Pocic’s grades slipped over the next three years, though his pass blocking efficiency remained above average. He was healthier in Cleveland than Seattle, missing just seven games from 2022 to 2024 before tearing his Achilles late last year.
There has been little discussion regarding potential landing spots for Pocic this offseason. But with his recovery complete, he now becomes the most proven center on the free agent market, which should draw him attention from teams in need of depth at the position.
Atop that list is the Ravens, who were outbid by the Raiders for Tyler Linderbaum in March and currently are auditioning Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock for their starting center gig. Pocic brings more NFL experience than that trio combined, and the clean bill of health should quickly get him on Baltimore’s radar. Other teams like the Patriots, Giants, and Texans all have starters on the roster, but they could consider bringing in Pocic as competition or high-end depth.
