Chargers center Mike Pouncey might have missed more than half of the season in 2019, but those in the league still think highly of him.
ESPN polled more than 50 NFL executives, scouts, coaches and players, and Pouncey was an honorable mention on the platform’s best interior offensive linemen list.
“He’s been hurt recently but I thought he was one of the highest-rated centers when he did play,” an AFC executive said.
Prior to last season, Pouncey looked like he had turned a corner. He started 37 straight games from 2017 until Week 5 of the 2019 season, which is when the unfortunate occurred.
Pouncey sustained a severe neck injury that required surgery, which put his career in jeopardy. Months went by and he recently received great news when he was cleared to play in May.
Pouncey, 30, was a Pro Bowl selection three times with Miami before joining the Chargers as a free agent in the offseason of 2018. He earned Pro Bowl honors again in 2018 and, in September, signed a one-year extension to remain with the Chargers through the 2020 season.
Entering the final year of his contract, Pouncey looks to help anchor an offensive line that’ll now feature guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga. The play from the trenches will be a huge determining factor of the team’s success in 2020.
