Vikings TE Irv Smith has thumb surgery, may be ready for Week 1 vs. Packers

The Minnesota Vikings don't open the preseason portion of the calendar until they travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 14, but a familiar name has already encountered a new physical setback. 

According to Kevin Patra of the NFL's website, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed on Tuesday that tight end Irv Smith suffered a thumb injury in practice on Monday that required him to have surgery. While the 23-year-old seemingly won't be available for August exhibition games, O'Connell added he's hopeful Smith will be good to go for the Week 1 showdown versus the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Sept. 11. 

This is yet another brutal blow for Smith, who missed the entire 2021 season after he needed knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He finished the 2020 campaign with 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns.

As Patra noted, the Vikings don't have much experience at the position beneath Smith on the depth chart. Backup Ben Ellefson has a single career reception, while Johnny Mundt has tallied just 10 career catches. It's unknown if the Vikings will shop for a proven tight end if it's later learned that Smith will be sidelined through at least Week 1 next month.