The Minnesota Vikings won against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in England; however, their major win was colored by a loss. Lewis Cine, the rookie safety, came out with an injury.
During the first quarter of the game, Cine got injured while blocking an opponent’s punt. He briefly went airborne, and on landing, his ankle gave way. He was this year’s first-round pick in the NFL draft.
His leg twisted unnaturally while on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which had since moved from grass to turf for NFL. The players from both teams immediately realized the gravity and severity of the injury as they all took a knee. Cine was then carted off after his leg was placed in a cast.
Vikings rookie safety Lewis Cine is being transported to local hospital for more evaluation after significant leg injury, via our @JamieErdahl on NFL Network game broadcast.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 2, 2022
Serious Injury
According to Tom Pelissero, Cine suffered a severe compound fracture, scary injuries to any athlete. The doctor defines this fracture as an open wound or tears in the skin near a broken bone.
Cine was immediately taken to the nearest local hospital, and a preparatory surgery procedure was done in anticipation of his major surgery. He is set to remain in London after his initial recovery then he can rejoin his team in Minnesota.
Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings’ head coach, was holding back tears when he made the statement. “From everything I’ve been told, the care, the local folks here have been phenomenal with [Cine]. But he will be having surgery to fix [his injury] here. We feel very strongly about, obviously, not only the local doctors but our medical team that will stay back with Lew. We’ll get that fixed up for him, and as soon as he can transition back to the Twin Cities, we’ll do that.”
Coach O'Connell provides an injury update on Lewis Cine. pic.twitter.com/wmpZ7qmKJk
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 2, 2022
Potential Consequences of the Injury
Despite heartfelt support, Cine’s injury, which occurred at minute 1:08 of the first quarter, is brutal and could have devastating consequences. His rookie season might be over with only four games under his belt, and this is a blow to his career. Football, while a violent sport with a lot of injuries, Cine’s injury is quite common. This injury might alter the trajectory of his career.
O’Connell reiterated how this injury was challenging for the team as well “[Cine is] obviously a guy that, from Day 1, has been a personal favorite of mine and does everything we’ve asked. He continued to progress in his rookie year and had a dynamic role for us on special teams.”
Cine is on the first team and is an All-SEC player, and has been a member of the national title-winning team in Georgia. He was chosen as its 32nd pick in April’s draft and spent the remainder of his rookie season on special teams with the Minnesota Vikings.
🚨WARNING: graphic🚨#Vikings safety Lewis Cine leaves with severe left ankle injury
Full details: https://t.co/arUCiqHTlF pic.twitter.com/zPXW0VTJdl
— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) October 2, 2022
Injuries Incurred by Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have not had great luck this season with injuries; they lost four times due to injuries sustained by their players. Cine had a reoccurring knee injury that caused his first-round pick.
In their third week, the Minnesota Vikings were dealt with a bad hand when one of their own, Dalvin Cook, sustained an injury in the shoulder during the second half.
On close inspection by the medics, Cook was benched out for the remainder of the game. While the severity of this injury is yet to be determined, it seemed significant enough for him to sit out the rest of the game.
This loss comes as a massive blow to the Vikings since Cook is the star running back and one of the essential players on the team. Before his injury, Cook had managed up to 97 yards and had a touchdown of 17 carries.
The NFL enters its fourth week of the season on Thursday, marked by Bengal’s win, and proceeding with 14 more games this Sunday. This means that all the teams must have a hand in the injury report of the previous week. However, teams set to play on Monday night won’t release these reports until Saturday.
Players from both teams take a knee after Vikings defensive back Lewis Cine's injury. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/W0LzXF4gkP
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 2, 2022
Cine’s Recovery and Future
The Vikings report that Cline has officially begun his recovery following successful leg surgery. The compound fracture is quite severe and has many believing it to be a gruesome injury; however, Cine is said to be in good spirits and quite hopeful about making a full recovery.
Cine’s doctor, Dr. Aswinkumar Vasireddy, who operated on him, assured his teammates that the surgery went smoothly and he was set to come home soon enough.
“We look forward to welcoming Lewis back to Minnesota to be around his teammates and coaches”, the Vikings said in a statement, “and begin the rehabilitation process with the Vikings medical staff.
https://twitter.com/LewisCine/status/1577408661185392640?s=20&t=iet5aLtWhiWZ-S5bzPvmOg
Credits: Flickr, Amy Meredith
