Report: Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. to undergo knee surgery, miss start of season

Viking tight end Irv Smith Jr. spoke after Friday night's preseason finale in Kansas City about a potentially "scary" lineup set to be unleashed for the Vikings offense. He'd played 11 of 12 snaps with the first-team offense in two series against the Chiefs — leading the way by catching both of his targets for 39 yards — before taking a seat in the 28-25 loss. There was no indication he wouldn't be part of that Week 1 lineup on Sept. 12 in Cincinnati.

But Smith reportedly will miss "at least the start of the regular season," according to NFL Media, as he's expected to undergo knee surgery to fix a meniscus injury. The Vikings had no media access Sunday; coach Mike Zimmer is scheduled to give a news conference on Monday morning.

Smith, a 2019 second-round pick, was a strong candidate for a breakout season as he stepped into a starting role vacated by Kyle Rudolph this offseason. Further boosting expectations was Smith's strong training camp in which he was a go-to target for quarterback Kirk Cousins and the play-action passing game.

Smith offered no indication after Friday's game that anything was wrong with his health, walking away from the podium without issue after projecting optimism about a struggling

offense that played without running back Dalvin Cook and receiver Justin Jefferson during a winless preseason.

"I think it's going to be very scary, honestly," Smith said of the Vikings offense. "We have a lot of talent on this offense. We're just excited to get to it. It's been a long camp. Now, we're almost to that time."

The Vikings offense will have to wait a little longer before it can be at full strength. Smith's injury moves No. 2 tight end Tyler Conklin into a starting role. Conklin hasn't played this preseason while dealing with a hamstring injury. The Vikings also have Brandon Dillon, rookie fifth-round pick Zach Davidson and undrafted rookie Shane Zylstra at the position.