Minnesota Vikings rookie safety Lewis Cine has undergone the first of two procedures to repair a compound fracture of his lower left leg, the team confirmed Monday afternoon. The second procedure will take place Tuesday at a hospital in London, where he will remain until the "appropriate time," according to the team.
Cine suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Vikings' 28-25 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Members of the team's medical staff accompanied him to a local hospital, and one will remain with Cine until he returns. Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that the fracture was "compound," which means that Cine's bone punctured his skin. That adds a level of complexity to the treatment and recovery.
Cine is in "great spirits," according to a team statement, and O'Connell said he spoke with him for about 20 minutes after the team returned late Monday night to Minnesota. But O'Connell demurred when asked if he knows enough to be certain that Cine will be able to resume his career at some point.
"I think that's a tough question right now," O'Connell said. "We've been so short-term as far as making sure that he's getting the care both medically and then support wise from us as an organization."
O'Connell, who was an assistant coach with Washington when quarterback Alex Smith suffered a similar injury, said he wanted Cine to know that the organization will be "right there with him as he makes his way back to hopefully a full recovery" and added: "I have no doubt that he's going to be attacking that every step of the way."