Vikings TE Irv Smith (back) is expected to play against the Bucs today, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. But the back injury "could limit some of his play time," Schefter adds. Even with TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) expected to be out, Smith is just a TE2 at less than 100%.

Vikings TE Irv Smith had surgery Wednesday morning to repair his injured meniscus. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that he has a 4-5 month recovery timeline, which almost certainly ends Smith's season. That leaves opportunity open at the position. HC Mike Zimmer talked up Tyler Conklin this summer. Conklin missed about half of August with a hamstring injury, but he has downplayed the severity and said he expects to be ready for the opener. He's our top choice among Minnesota TEs. The team also traded for Chris Herndon this week, of course. The former Jet comes with athletic upside but has disappointed since a standout rookie year. It's worth noting the Jets unloaded him for merely a move up from Round 6 to Round 4 in the 2022 draft. We'll see whether the Vikings look to add anything else over the next week and a half -- or in season if they're dissatisfied once the games begin.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer said Monday that TE Irv Smith will have surgery this week to repair his meniscus injury. Unfortunately, he had no update on how long we should expect Smith to be out. "We'll just see where he's at," Zimmer said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "A lot of times you can't really tell anything until you get in there. We really won't know until they get in there." We'll watch for updates after the surgery.

Vikings TE Irv Smith will undergo surgery for a meniscus injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 3rd-year TE is expected to miss at least the Week 1 opener vs. Cincinnati, but a specific timeline isn’t yet known. Tyler Conklin, the #2 TE, has already missed time this summer with a hamstring injury. If healthy, Conklin will profile as a potential spot-starter out of the gate.

Vikings TE Irv Smith has been a frequent target of QB Kirk Cousins in camp so far, according to insider Judd Zulgad. "It’s become clear that Kirk Cousins is very comfortable throwing to Smith — more than he was throwing to Kyle Rudolph — and that could result in a big season for the tight end entering his third season," Zulgad writes. The Smith hype quieted a bit after HC Mike Zimmer talked up a bigger role for TE Tyler Conklin back in June. But Smith was always most likely to lead Vikings TEs in targets and fantasy points this season. He has top-10 upside.

Vikings TEs Irv Smith (back) and Kyle Rudolph (foot) were sidelined on Wednesday. Smith has missed the past 2 games with his back injury and seems unlikely to play against the Bucs this weekend. Rudolph's status is uncertain with this foot issue. We'll see if he's able to get back on the field tomorrow.