Tight end Irv Smith is “excited” to return to NFL action in 2022

Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is ready to pick up where he left off in 2020.

After his 2021 campaign and a strong debut season in 2020, Irv Smith Jr was cut short by a torn meniscus.

While he was on the bench, he watched the Vikings’ 8-9 record, missing the playoffs a second consecutive year, for a distant second in the NFC North behind the Greenbay Packers.

Kevin O’Connell, the new head coach for the Vikings, has a lot of confidence in Minnesota reaching the playoffs, and in Jr helping make that happen. “I’m very confident once I get back on the field I’m going to be 100 percent, and we’re going to keep building on that,” he said.

Irv smith Jr stayed productive while hurt

The 23-year-old created a lot of hype as a 2019 second-round pick, as Minnesota was expecting Smith Jr to cover some extra defense for the Vikings. And while it didn’t last long, we did see some of this in the 2021 preseason.

Smith stayed as efficient as he could be with his team during his time on the bench, helping prepare Tyler Conklin, who filled in for him, and other tight ends.

The TE says his goals are still the same, even though the momentum has been slower than he expected. “I still have that same [mindset]; in my mind, I’ve worked so hard throughout my life, so it’s not like this is something that we built up in the last camp,” Smith said.

“I had a great camp and was looking forward to the season, but that momentum and everything hasn’t slowed down.”

The rehab process is still happening for Smith Jr, but there are no major complications, which is why he is also hopeful to get back to the field as soon as possible and prove he can still be the No. 1 tight end in the league.

Irv Smith Jr is “excited to be back”

“Coming out of this, it’s made me even stronger. So I’m excited, just to be back in the building, get back on the field, do what I love and be with my team, they’ve been super supportive of me, and this whole organization, everybody, has been very supportive. It’s going to be a very fun season.”

Smith will most likely be heavily considered in O’Connell’s offense, as an in-line TE, a big slot receiver, or even out wide or in the backfield.