The Vikings drafted safety Lewis Cine with the 32nd overall choice in the 2022 draft. He played only two defensive snaps and 34 on special teams in three games before a compound fracture of his lower left leg.
The broken tibia and fibula and dislocated ankle required surgery at the Cleveland Clinic London before he could travel home.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell gave an update on Cine’s recovery, which hit exactly five months Thursday.
“Lewis is in a great spot right now,” O’Connell said. “He’s well ahead of his rehab process. I see him [every day]. It’s unique to see a player every single day this time of year at the facility, but that’s been Lew. Been in my office a bunch, asking, ‘Hey, when do we get started? Have you set the schedule for OTAs? What’s training camp going to be like?’ I said, ‘Just hold on, man. We’re going to be just fine.’ But he’s doing a great job, really excited about Lewis and his mental growth through how he handled adversity of that injury, stay connected with his teammates, and ultimately hopefully this is just going to be a small bump in a great road to Lew becoming the player he’s going to become.”
Camryn Bynum, a fourth-round pick in 2021, beat out Cine for a starting job at safety last offseason. But with the Vikings’ secondary a work in progress, Cine will get a chance to compete for a starting job this offseason.