Irv Smith Jr.'s Injury Recovery Takes Surprising New Turn

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

It looked like Irv Smith Jr.'s 2022 NFL season was over when it was reported earlier this week that he'd miss eight-to-10 weeks with a high-ankle sprain. However, the latest injury update regarding the Minnesota Vikings tight end indicates that his campaign might not be over just yet.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell says that Smith is "leaning against having surgery on his ankle," according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. By foregoing surgery, the 24-year-old will be able to return to the field sooner for Minnesota.

Irv Smith Jr. Injury Update

Though Vikings fans would be thrilled with a quick return, the good news didn't end there. O'Connell also told reporters that "doctors have found no other damage besides a high sprain," which will make Smith's recovery easier.

Whether Smith gets surgery or not, he must miss at least four games due to the NFL's injured reserve policy. That makes him eligible to return in Week 13 against the New York Jets at home.

Fortunately for Minnesota, there's no need to rush Smith back after the team went out and acquired former Detroit Lions TE T.J. Hockenson ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. Hockenson is one of the most prolific tight ends in the league with 2,068 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns since debuting in 2019, so the Vikings should be just fine in Smith's absence.

Hopefully, Smith has a quick recovery and can rejoin Minnesota sooner than expected. In the meantime, Hockenson will try to help the team win his Vikings debut as a 3-point road favorite over the Washington Commanders on FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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