Ravens center Pinter facing extended absence with leg injury

Ravens starting center Danny Pinter is expected to miss "an extended amount of time" after injuring his right leg during joint practices with the Vikings, coach Jesse Minter said Thursday.

Pinter, 30, was closing in on a starting job for the first time in his six-year NFL career before getting carted off the field on Wednesday. He was later seen wearing a brace on his right leg. Minter declined to give details of the injury, but NFL Network reported Pinter tore his patella tendon, which is typically a season-ending injury.

Minter said Pinter will get different opinions on the injury. "We'll see how it shakes out," Minter said, "but it looks like he'll definitely miss some time."

The injury is the most significant of the summer for Baltimore and continues the Ravens' search to replace Tyler Linderbaum, who signed a record-setting three-year, $81 million contract with the Raiders in free agency. The top options to replace Pinter are Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn.

Pocic, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with Baltimore last month that includes $3 million guaranteed, had been considered the front-runner for the starting center job at the start of training camp because of his experience, but had fallen behind Pinter and Gwyn on the depth chart. He has made 97 starts in his nine-year career, including 13 starts for the Browns last season.

Corey Bullock, who was activated off the non-football illness list on Aug. 5, will also figure into the battle at center and will "absolutely" get snaps there in Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings, according to Minter. "The timing for both of those guys [Pocic and Bullock] is good to ramp into the competition," Minter said.