Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. Expected to Miss Time With High Ankle Sprain

Could Smith's injury impact the Vikings' trade deadline plans?

Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. suffered a high ankle sprain late in Sunday's win over the Cardinals, meaning he's in danger of missing multiple weeks.

Smith had four catches for 28 yards in the game, but he got his ankle rolled up on in the fourth quarter. It happened on the final score of the game, a Kirk Cousins touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn with less than nine minutes remaining. Alexander Mattison went to pick up Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons in pass protection, but Simmons was able to avoid the block, which resulted in Mattison diving into Smith's legs as he was engaged with a defender.

Irv Smith Jr.'s high ankle sprain happened on the late KJ Osborn touchdown. Just an unfortunate play. Alexander Mattison went to pick up Isaiah Simmons in pass pro but basically got hurdled, so he wound up diving into Smith's legs. pic.twitter.com/GO4o42KbXu

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 31, 2022

The exact timeline is unclear, but depending on the severity of the sprain, Smith could miss anywhere from one game to more than a month. 

Suddenly, the Vikings' depth at tight end is a major question mark. Johnny Mundt, who caught his first career touchdown pass against the Cardinals, is now the only healthy TE on the active roster, but he's still primarily a blocker. Ben Ellefson, another blocking specialist, must miss at least one more game on injured reserve. Veteran Jacob Hollister and seventh-round rookie Nick Muse are on the practice squad.

With the NFL trade deadline just one day away (Tuesday, 3 p.m. CT), will Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah look at add a tight end? On the one hand, it's never a good idea to panic over an injury and let that force you into an ill-advised trade. Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman made that mistake several times. On the other hand, the Vikings already might've been in the market to add a pass-catching tight end, given that Smith and Mundt have both struggled with drops this season. This injury only increases that need.

The Vikings could probably get by with Mundt, Hollister, and Muse next week, with the possibility of getting Ellefson back the following week. They could also simply sign a street free agent for additional depth until Smith is healthy. But if they wanted to really shore up the position and add another weapon to their offense, why not consider trading for someone like Miami's Mike Gesicki or Denver's Albert Okwuegbunam?

This story will be updated if additional information on Smith's injury and return timeline becomes available.

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