Vikings Rookie Safety Lewis Cine Carted Off in London With Ankle Injury

Cine suffered an awful-looking injury while playing on special teams in the first quarter.

Vikings rookie safety Lewis Cine was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Saints in London. 

While playing on the punt return unit, Cine appeared to suffer an awful-looking ankle injury. He stayed down for a while and was attended to by trainers. With all of his teammates on the field offering support, Cine was put on a backboard with his leg in an air cast and taken off the field. He was then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Update: Head coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game that Cine has a lower leg fracture. He'll remain in London to have surgery, and several members of the Vikings' medical staff will stay with him. Cine won't return to Minnesota until he's ready and it makes sense to bring him back.

This is a brutal blow for the Vikings' first-round pick out of Georgia. Cine was playing well on special teams and trying to earn a role on defense. He missed a chunk of training camp due to injury, making his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Eagles. Now, in his third career game, he suffers what looks like a serious injury. We don't know yet if it's a season-ending injury, but it seems likely Cine will miss at least a chunk of time. Thoughts are with Cine, who is a well-liked played in the Vikings' locker room.

This April, the Vikings drafted Cine 32nd overall. He was a key part of a dominant defense on Georgia's national title-winning team. Cine was a first-team All-SEC player in 2021 and was named the defensive MVP of the national championship game.

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