After it was widely reported that Cleveland Browns rookie linebacker/defensive end Barkevious Mingo spent the night in the hospital as a result of a bruised lung, there was justified fear in Cleveland concerning the timetable for his return. Fortunately, it appears that Mingo will be back with the team in short order.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that Mingo is expected to rejoin the team in just one week following the injury. This is fantastic news for both the team and Mingo, and it illustrates that the original injury may not have been quite as severe as presumed. According to Mortensen’s report, it is still unknown whether Mingo will take part in the team’s next preseason game (against the Indianapolis Colts), but the door hasn’t been closed on that possibility.
There have been widespread reports of Mingo excelling in Cleveland’s training camp, and with his pedigree as the #6 overall pick, they could certainly use him coming off of the edge. Concerns over the Browns offense are warranted with Brandon Weeden under center, but they’ve done a nice job acquiring both defensive talent and help for Weeden on the offense.
Hopefully, Wingo will be able to return to the field in the timetable that is being reported, and this scary injury is behind him.