On the last touchdown drive the Minnesota Vikings had against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, tight end Irv Smith Jr. injured his ankle.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team sent him for an MRI to see the severity of the injury and initial reports on Monday were a high ankle sprain with Smith Jr. missing an undetermined amount of time.
With the Vikings trading for T.J. Hockenson, it sent a message that Smith Jr. was likely to be out for some time. On Tuesday a mere two hours after the trade, he was placed on injured reserve and will be out 8-10 weeks.
Vikings officially placed TE Irv Smith Jr. on injured reserve. He is expected to be out 8-10 weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2022
This is a tough loss for the Vikings, but the blow is lessened with the acquisition of Hockenson. The timeline for Smith Jr. to return is around week 17 when the Vikings head to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.
