Tonight’s final preseason game is Sergio Kindle’s Super Bowl. After a devastating fall down two flights of stairs that left him with a fractured skull, the 2010 second-round pick’s career in Baltimore was almost over before it started.
After tonight, there is a chance the Ravens will conclude the Kindle experiment for good.
Kindle hasn’t been able to effectively recover from the life-altering effects of his fall. Earlier in training camp, fellow linebacker Jameel McClain said he thinks the game is “slowing down” more for Kindle as he has spent much time in the playbook and is adapting to his hearing loss in his left ear.
Sadly for Kindle, even though the game has slowed down it still may not be enough.
If it weren’t for the fact the Ravens are extremely thin in the pass rush after losing Terrell Suggs to an Achilles injury and Jarrett Johnson via free agency, Kindle’s name was all but certain to not be on the final 53-man roster after Friday night’s 9 p.m. deadline.
No one should fault the Ravens and specifically Ozzie Newsome for selecting Kindle with such a high draft pick. If it weren’t for some off-field drinking related issues, Kindle was a first-round talent. When the Ravens selected him with the 43rd pick in the draft, many thought he was a steal.
Standing next to him, Kindle is way bigger than he appears on TV. In pads, Kindle ranks near the top of the Ravens defense in intimidation factor when you see that he is every bit of his listed 6-foot-3, 250 pounds. If the byproducts of his accident didn’t linger and slow him down mentally, Kindle surely would have been a well-recognized NFL name.
Earlier this week, John Harbaugh was asked about the likelihood of Kindle surviving the final round of cuts.
“[Kindle] is not a lock, but he’s done very well and this game will be important for him,” he said.
Even though Kindle has come leaps and bounds from where he was this point last season, it may not be enough. Earlier in minicamp, Kindle had made statements that he was eliminating all outside distractions and focusing on studying his playbook because he know that was the best chance he had to extend his NFL career.
Kindle was injured with a shoulder stinger during the Ravens second preseason game versus the Lions and didn’t play last week against the Jaguars; however, he is expected to see a decent amount of playing time tonight in St. Louis as the Ravens play the Rams.
You can’t help but root for Kindle to overcome the odds and prolong an NFL dream; at the same time, the Ravens are in the business of winning championships and will only select the best 53 players to be apart of that team. If Kindle is released tomorrow, it’s just the nature of the business.
Regardless, Kindle’s name is one that has been mentioned plenty around Baltimore and it shows the fan base has legitimate interest in his progress.
