Irv Smith Jr. ‘feels good’ heading into Week 1, continues ramp up after thumb surgery
Each and every season, fans and pundits across every sport attempt to prognosticate who could be “breakout” candidates for their respective teams. For the Minnesota Vikings, a popular choice is tight end Irv Smith Jr.
Smith, a second-round selection out of Alabama in the 2019 NFL Draft, has caught 66 career passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. His brief career has been overshadowed with injuries though; he missed all of last year after undergoing meniscus surgery and three games in 2020 with a groin strain.
Smith injured his thumb in the team’s first padded practice in early August and underwent thumb surgery and wasn’t cleared to practice again until Aug. 22.
“First and foremost, he looks like he’s in great shape, so I credit our sports performance staff and [Director of Player Performance] Josh Hingst for keeping him ready to go and engaged despite him being out of surgery and not being able to do much,” O’Connell told the media on Aug. 22. “I thought he moved great today; he’ll continue to progress into real football, but he’s made great strides, and I’m proud of the way Irv’s attacked this thing.
“He’s been super dialed-in in the meeting rooms, in walk-through,” O’Connell added. “[Tight ends] coach [Brian] Angelichio, [pass game specialist/game management coordinator Ryan] Cordell [have been] keeping him sharp, and now we’ve just got to see exactly where he’s at, being able to put it all together for what we can really put on his plate on Sept. 11. I’m happy with where Irv’s at right now and hoping to continue to progress him toward game action.”
With 10 days ahead of their Week 1 matchup against NFC North rival Green Bay, Smith is slowly ramping up — now catching footballs from quarterback Kirk Cousins and getting back in the groove.
“It feels good, just getting back in the groove of things,” Smith said Wednesday, via the team’s website. “It’s a little different being back on the field and running around training and stuff, so it was good that I’m able to get out here, get some work in, get on the same page as Kirk [Cousins] and show my offensive teammates what we can do.
“They’ve been working me in more. Coach K.O. (Kevin O’Connell), he’s been working me in more … getting me back in the offense.”
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Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn — who is expected to be the team’s No. 3 receiver this season — is happy to see the 24-year-old tight end back on the field.
“He’s been doing good. He’s been coming out here, catching balls still – it’s a testament to his toughness,” Osborn said. “We’re just super happy to have him back on the grass.”
Smith possesses good hands and plenty of quality athletic traits and is expected to receive plenty of targets following a very good sophomore campaign in 2020. For him, it’s only a matter of staying healthy.
If Smith isn’t able to return Week 1 and has to miss additional time, Minnesota is expected to use its other two tight ends — Johnny Mundt and Ben Ellefson — who made the cut for their initial 53-man roster that was released Tuesday. Mundt and Ellefson have combined to catch 11 passes for 103 yards, so neither have that much experience — a bigger reason why Smith’s durability is paramount.
Barring an unforeseen setback, he is expected to be a full go when the clock hits 4:25 p.m. ET in 10 days, hoping to play without any thumb brace or protective gear on his hand.
“That’s the plan,” Smith said when asked about if he was going to play Week 1. “We’ve been working at it, and I’m still working at it every day.
“My plan is to be full-go without any support or anything out there, so I can be at my best.”
From a breakout perspective, Smith didn’t finish as a top-20 tight end in both standard and PPR formats in 2019 or 2020 and played next to Kyle Rudolph.
With more of the offense tailored towards the aerial attack, a healthy Irv Smith is prime for a breakout season alongside Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and, most importantly, Kirk Cousins, since Smith’s value plummets when his quarterback isn’t on the field.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to be confident in yourself and your abilities and the work that’s been put in through this time,” he said. “We’ve been working since OTAs, training camp and now leading into the season.
“My coaches are confident in me, I’m confident in myself, [my teammates] are, so that’s all I can ask for,” he added. “I’m gonna put in the work so we’ll be ready for Week 1.”
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