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.

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

The Ravens signed center Andre James and guard Kyle Hergel to their practice squad Wednesday, adding experienced line options after injuries to Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic. Rookie Vega Ioane is still preparing to start at center against Tennessee on Sunday.

The additions follow ESPN's report that Gwyn has a fractured fibula and is expected to miss two to three months, with surgery likely. That estimate comes from a source and is not an announced return date. Gwyn was carted off during Baltimore's 34-31 win over Dallas in Rio de Janeiro, and Pocic also left with a knee injury.

James brings 61 career starts, mostly with the Raiders, for whom he was the full-time starter from 2021 through 2024. He made one start with the Chargers last season and was most recently with Tennessee. The Ravens' announcement says the Titans released him September 1 after he had been placed on injured reserve.

Hergel knows offensive coordinator Declan Doyle from their time with Chicago last season. He began this year on the Bears' practice squad before being released September 22. The Canadian-born guard previously appeared in eight games for New Orleans and has not started an NFL game.

Both players join the practice squad, rather than immediately taking places on Baltimore's active roster. The Ravens have not announced that either will start Sunday. Their arrival adds options behind Ioane and gives the coaching staff more players to prepare while the injured centers recover.

Ioane started the first three games at right guard before taking over at center late against Dallas. Coach Jesse Minter has said the first-round rookie would prepare for the center assignment this week. Moving him would also require Baltimore to address the right-guard position.

The team separately promoted safety K'Von Wallace to its 53-man roster Wednesday. That is an active-roster move, unlike the two line signings. Baltimore's immediate center plan remains Ioane's preparation, now supplemented by James and Hergel as the club manages the reported extended absence for Gwyn and Pocic's separate knee injury.