Lewis Cine signs with Jets, could face Vikings in return to scene of horrific injury

Cine has signed with the Jets' practice squad.

Aug 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine (6) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Former Vikings first-round pick Lewis Cine has signed with the New York Jets' practice squad, according to multiple reports. He was waived by Minnesota during roster cuts on Tuesday.

Update: Cine changed course on Thursday and signed with the Bills' practice squad instead.

That means Cine could face his old team...in the same stadium where he suffered a gruesome, career-altering leg injury two years ago. The Vikings and Jets are set to meet in Week 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which was the location when Cine got hurt against the Saints as a rookie. That would be quite the full-circle moment.

Of course, Cine would have to work his way up to the active roster by that point, or at least be elevated from the practice squad. He's got his work cut out for him as he looks to climb the depth chart on a Jets defense that is one of the NFL's elite units. With that said, safety isn't one of the Jets' best position groups. They've got Chuck Clark, Tony Adams, and Ashtyn Davis as their top three at that position.

Cine went unclaimed on waivers on Wednesday. That was unsurprising, considering a team who claimed him would've taken on the $4 million guaranteed left on the final two years of his rookie deal. The Vikings are now have $6.8 million in dead money on their books over the next two years because they moved on from Cine.

A fresh start could help the 24-year-old former Georgia star turn his NFL career around. It didn't happen for him in Minnesota, but maybe things will click for him in New York.