The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has been the talk of the offseason in Cleveland. They named veteran quarterback Joe Flacco their Week 1 starter. Entering their final game of preseason action, they wanted to get their starting offense more reps. With their starters opening the game, their center, Ethan Pocic, came up injured.
What Happened to Ethan Pocic?
In the first quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Rams, Pocic was down after a play with an apparent knee injury.
He was being checked out on the field by trainers and was replaced by Luke Wypler. Eventually, he walked off under his own power, which is a good sign for the Browns’ offense.
#Browns C Ethan Pocic hurts his left knee on that last play. Being checked on the field
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 23, 2025
Even though he walked off, the Browns ruled him out immediately. The team is still waiting on the severity of the injury, but there was no reason to force him back out onto the field.
Browns C Ethan Pocic (knee) has been ruled out. No word on the severity yet, but no way he was returning either way.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 23, 2025
The Browns’ offense struggled last season, and they will need a strong offensive line to help improve their performance from last season. With QB Joe Flacco being on the older side, keeping him upright and healthy will be very important. The Browns will be hoping that they won’t be regretting having Pocic on the field for this final preseason game.
Pocic has been a staple of the offensive line in Cleveland for the last three seasons after spending the previous five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He started 44 games for the Browns and has been a reliable option on the offensive line.
The Browns’ offensive line in the 2024 season came in at 20th in the league, according to PFSN’s OL+ metric. With a grade of 71.4 and C-, the Browns will be hoping that this improves during the 2025 season.
A concerning stat for the Browns last season was that they allowed a 9.1% sack rate, which came in at 30th in the NFL. With Flacco at the helm, the Browns cannot allow Flacco to be sacked that much or even highly pressured with Flacco’s limited mobility.
The Browns’ outlook in 2025 isn’t very bright. With a complicated quarterback situation and a below-average offense, coming off three wins last season, the Browns will find it hard to compete in a very tough AFC North with the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers, who all have realistic playoff aspirations. Browns fans will simply be hoping for steps in the right direction and Pocic to be healthy for Week 1.
