Browns Reach Injury Settlement With OL Jason Pinkston Due to Blood Clots

The Jason Pinkston saga is over, and it's heartbreaking news for the former starting left guard of the Cleveland Browns: his NFL career is likely over too. The Browns waived Pinkston on Monday after reaching an injury settlement with him. Last week, one of our readers caught wind of the news that Pinkston might have had another pulmonary embolism in his lungs, news which Pinkston has since confirmed.

Pinkston was on the Browns' practice field Monday morning, but it was to say goodbyes to his teammates and gaze, perhaps one last time, at the NFL experience he is forced to leave behind.

"It's really hard,'' Pinkston said in an interview with the Plain Dealer. "It was devastating at first because you work so hard in the offseason to get back and something like this happens two weeks before training camp and it just takes the air out of you. But I'll be okay. I'll be fine."

Pinkston will be on bloodthinners for the rest of the season, and it's hard to foresee him coming back from such a tragedy twice. He said that this most recent case was more serious than the one he suffered in 2012. Pinkston thanked the fans one last time after his departure:

Thank you everyone for all the thoughts & prayers Cleveland It's been a honor to be apart of the city! The best fans in the world #GoBrowns

— Jason Pinkston (@JasonPinkstonOL) August 4, 2014

The former fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh was expected to compete for the starting right guard spot with John Greco and Garrett Gilkey in camp.