Sergio Kindle To Wear #94, Return Next Month

Just moments ago, Ravens injured rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle tweeted that he will be wearing the number 94 on his jersey this season, and that he’ll be returning to action in October:

"Its official, i’ll be wear’n number 94!!! ima sit out some games but look for ya boy on that field sometime next month!! King Serg"

This news comes about a month after Kindle fell down two flights of stairs in a house in Austin, just days before rookies were required to report to Ravens training camp. Kindle, a second round pick out of Texas, fractured his skull in the incident, and early reports suggested he could miss the entire 2010 season. Still unsigned, the Ravens organization has let Kindle take his time recovering, with head coach John Harbaugh stating several times that the team would not want Kindle to risk permanent, more serious damage by jumping into football activities too soon.

Kindle was expected to be a featured pass rusher for the Ravens’ defense this season, lining up at outside linebacker. After missing all of training camp, Kindle will undoubtedly need time to get back into the kind of shape he was before the injury, and may struggle to catch back up to the speed that the NFL game is played at.

Because Kindle is unsigned, there is no roster spot for him, meaning that if he’s signed before the season starts, he’d most likely be placed on the PUP list. Being placed on that list would mean that the former All-American would not be able to play until at least Week 7. If, or rather when Kindle is activated, another player would have to be released from the 53-man roster to make room for him. By his estimation, Kindle would be retuning sometime in early October, and if he were to be placed on the PUP list, he would have about three weeks to get re-oriented with football. That would make a Week 7 return against Buffalo a possible return date for the 6’3″, 250-pound linebacker.

Remember that all of this information is based on what Kindle posted on his personal Twitter account. When the Ravens make their official statement on the situation, we’ll be able to know more about the specifics of Kindle’s schedule. Don’t forget that he needs to sign his contract, and the Ravens may wait even longer to get that done, waiting to see how he bounces back from being out of hospital care for the first time in about a month.