The Cleveland Browns sustained three potentially serious injuries Thursday in their 24-6 exhibition victory over the Detroit Lions.
Rookie linebacker Barkevious Mingo was hospitalized due to a bruised lung. According to the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, Mingo’s ailment is thought to be mild, but he was to remain in the Cleveland Clinic overnight for precautionary reasons.
The Browns also announced that Dion Lewis broke his left fibula, an injury that might end his season, and guard Jason Pinkston severely sprained an ankle. Pinkston was wearing a walking boot as he exited FirstEnergy Stadium, multiple media outlets reported.
Coach Rob Chudzinski said the Browns were unsure when Mingo got injured. Mingo, 22, was a star at LSU before Cleveland selected him with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft.
Defensive end Desmond Bryant told the Plain Dealer regarding Mingo, “Anytime you see one of your teammates go down, it’s terrible to hear. I didn’t see the play where he got hurt. I just noticed he was gone. Hopefully he’ll get better soon. It sounds like an awful injury. I hope he’s OK.”
Lewis, 22, was hurt on a third-quarter carry. He is entering his first season with the Browns after two years with the Eagles. Lewis had just 36 total carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns in his Philadelphia career.
“He’s a big part of the offense,” fellow running back Trent Richardson said. “He’s a big part of the team. With his three years in the NFL, I’m learning more from him every day, how quick he is and he’s a great person. We’re going to keep his spirits lifted high and we’re going to keep him in our prayers.
“I don’t know if we’re going to lose him for the season, but if we do, there’s a lot of opportunity for guys. There’s a lot of opportunity and I’ve got to get in shape. I’ve got to get in the best shape ever. With Brandon (Jackson) and Obi (Chris Ogbonnaya) and even Montario (Hardesty), we’ve just got to work harder.”
Pinkston, 25, started all 16 games for the Browns as a rookie in 2011. He made six starts last year before finishing the season on injured reserve due to a blood clot.