Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo resumed running this week for the first time since bruising his lung against the Lions on August 15, but there may not be enough time left for him to rehab the injury before the first week of the regular season.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Mingo is “unlikely” to play against the Dolphins on September 8 because of the lung injury. He is, however, deemed probable to play in the team’s second game of the year against their AFC North rivals from Baltimore. Schefter’s colleague Ed Werder adds that Mingo’s scheduled for scans on his lung on Monday to help determine whether he’ll be able to get on the field.
While initial reports at the time of the injury indicated Mingo would miss a week or so, the Browns have not offered much of a timetable at all when it comes to Mingo’s return. Coach Rob Chudzinski said earlier this week that Mingo was doing better but that the team would wait and see how he progresses before making any plans about a full green light for the rookie.
Missing the first game of his first season certainly isn’t the way the Browns drew things up when they made Mingo the sixth overall pick in April, but the fact there’s been no hint that his absence would extend much beyond that game offers some reassurance that things will work out just fine in Cleveland.