Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. Has Thumb Surgery But Not Ruled Out For Week 1

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell announced on Tuesday that TE Irv Smith Jr. needed surgery on his thumb and will be out a while, per Arif Hasan.

O’Connell left the door open for Smith to be back and ready to play in Week 1 on September 11, however. 

Smith missed the entire 2021 season with an injury suffered in training camp, so it’s fortunate for him and Minnesota this one appears less severe. 

Smith, 24, is a former second-round pick of the Vikings back in 2019. He’s currently in the fourth year of his four-year, $5.798 million contract that included a $2.237 million signing bonus.

He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023. 

In 2020, Smith appeared in 13 games for the Vikings and caught 30 passes for 365 yards receiving and five touchdowns.